Is Plumbing Dangerous?

Most don’t think plumbing is a particularly hazardous trade, but in reality it is. Plumbers are often working in close quarters with potentially dangerous materials.

If your home has leaky pipes, then your water will not only be polluted with dangerous Pseudomonas and Legionella, it will be prime ground for mold growth.

1. Pseudomonas
Pseudomonas thrives in a stagnant waterway and can infect immunocompromised patients in hospitals, in particular. But closed systems aren’t as susceptible to this microbe: the majority of infection is opportunistic and innocuous.

Water treatment plants are contaminated by bacterium Pseudomonas bacteria, which creates biofilm, a ugly film of slime that plugs pipes, hinders productivity and hosts other disease-causing microbes. In addition, Pseudomonas favours corrosion, converting sulphates into sulphides which pit and perforate metal pipework piping.

Pseudomonas can be prevented by planning for as little sludge as possible in the water system, by undertaking a thorough pre-commissioning clean before installation, and by constantly checking every system element. And all the water pipes need to be circulated regularly according to BSRIA recommendations.

2. Legionella
You will also find Legionella bacteria in nature around waterways, water mains and plumbing systems and Legionnaires Disease in humans if you breathe it in.

Pipe roughness offers the perfect breeding ground for biofilm, breeding sites for a range of pathogenic bacteria, including legionella. This is prevented because of FlowGuard CPVC’s natural elasticity, and the fact that it’s inert against chlorine disinfectant chemicals used for commercial plumbing means that its pipes won’t be exposed to more damage.

The person who decides whether the pipework will have dead legs or blind ends can avoid the threat by flushing infrequently used sections to avoid stagnation and draining and cleaning tanks regularly to prevent sediment accumulation or microbial growth.

3. Asbestos
The industry took asbestos, for decades, and applied it to everything from plumbing to appliances. While plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters used to tinker with asbestos (insulation, boilers, ducts, tanks), as the material was fire resistant, plumbers might still get a little exposed today, however, if they had been working on old asbestos pipes.

This is asbestos fibres that can be blown into the air when pipes are broken, cut, sawn or sanded – asbestos emissions from the pipes can cause breathing disorders and cancer, so plumbers should ask owners about asbestos that may have been in use at the site – it’s best for asbestos material to be covered rather than removed.

An old pipe can spill asbestos into waterways and expose people to diseases such as mesothelioma. Asbestos-related diseases can be very hard to detect and treat, sadly.

4. Slipping and Falling
Because plumbing is a job that demands ladders and working from elevated heights, slips and falls are a given. Water hazards, debris pile-ups, and bad lighting conditions are all risks that could lead to these accidents.

Plumbers can also deal with toxic chemicals and products, drain cleaners and solvents that might be irritating to the skin or the respiratory tract, or old plumbing containing lead and asbestos, which have poisonous components.

Electrical accidents while using electric tools or plumbing are the last possibility. You might get burned, sliced or electrocuted. Hence, plumbers need to be safe when working with such tools, and wear PPE, to avoid injuries and pay-outs for injuries.

5. Biohazards
An unintentional plumbing problem that causes water damage or leaks can also bring bacteria and germs into our homes that if allowed to spread can cause illness or death. Clean-up of such events involves expertise, training and the right tools so that homes don’t become contaminated.

The plumbers also work in proximity to a toxic substance and substance that includes: sulfur dioxide, drain cleaners, solvents, lead asbestos and raw sewage toxins which can contribute to conditions such as Hepatitis and E Coli Diarrhoea.

Plumber’s pipes are perfect for legionella and pseudomonas to thrive because the interior surface of the pipes tends to harbour biofilm that serves as a breeding ground for bacteria colonies that breed legionella in plumbing pipes in homes. This biofilm is where legionella enters us from home plumbing and resides.