Plumbers are exposed daily to all kinds to hazardous materials and chemicals such as drain cleaners containing sulphur and other carcinogenic substances, solvents, lead, mould and sewage. They need to protect their lungs, skin and eyes from these substances.
Flammable materials and electricity also causes danger to plumbers. For instance – unexpectedly hot water, steam pipes, electrical wiring, gas lines, boilers, electrical tools and power lines – especially near water – all very dangerous working conditions and any one of these items can cause significant injury.
The dangerous working conditions can often be exasperated by a laissez faire attitude towards these hazards. This attitude can creep up on Plumbers – they get so “used” to working with the danger that they can forget that it exists - which makes the work even more dangerous. As an employer of Plumbers, it can be very useful to remind your workers of the dangers and pointing out specific dangers when moving to a new project.