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MasterPlumbers
What are the laws that employers have to follow reguarding sewer gas leaks?
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Brandi, if you are a resident of the good ole USA, then contact the OSHA Office in your State. I think that this sort of concern falls under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules and regulations. JWA
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As a Master Plumber and contractor We are supposed to take courses in the Occupational Safety and health Act of 1974 OSHA 1910 ( FEDERAL ) (Written by senators Williams and Stiger?) ( I was in the very 1st apprenticeship class to pass the “construction safety course” ever offered TA DUM
O.S.H.A is only a very small part of the BIG Brother aspect. There are other courses and publications that must be followed like the
National Institute Of Safety and health (NIOSH)
The Department Of Environmental Protection (DEP) has a few of their own publications regarding airing out sewers prior to having employees working on them.
The Department of labor puts out employee hand outs regarding (OBA) Oxygen breathing apparatus and safety gear Which MUST be approved by the Bureau of mines if the employee has to go into the sewer.
Then of course the local and state and Federal departments of Labor add their 2 cents as everyone wants their fair share of MONEY and they have to keep the unemployable inspectors busy and justify the huge payrolls in government.
The health department likes to also get some of the publicity so they put out other pamphlets for the employees to read (geared for 3rd grade education)
The employer also MUST (OSHA LIKES safety talks) have a weekly safety discussion of the safe handling of toxic wastes and how to protect the employees from breathing hydrogen sulfide (H2S Rotten egg smell) Sulfur dioxide (SO2) also smell like rotten eggs. Methane (CH4) possibly ethane (C2H6). See if they smell something they know to wear the approved masks and coveralls,gloves
Being a plumbing contractor sure has us reading a lot, VERY little time for actually doing the work any more.
Now we haven’t talked about the plumbing codes, State, City and Federal and National
Everyone wants to make a living and writing and selling code books is easy money for the lazy.
Show me an out of work (not good enough to be self employed) engineer and ILL show you a HIGH RANKING code official.
The “plumbing code” is supposed to explain the proper location of venting sewer gases and the size of these vents in relation to the number of fixture units connected
For example( 1 cu ft of water is 1 FU unless your talking a pumping waste then it is 1 GPM = 1 FU. or 3 sq ft. of roof drainage BUT “Storm lines” dont need vents OK?)
The venting also is based upon developed length and what kind of “Sewer Gases” are going to be encountered (like an acid system venting is considered chemical waste and it has to be neutralized BUT it still a type of “sewer gas” and must be addressed in case of improper venting this way everyone can take the blame when folks drop like flies.
Interstate trucking garages and other industrial wastes have their own “sewer gases” that have to be dealt with by not only the EPA and the local sewer and water department and ICC- DOT (Inter state commerce commission) For Bus terminals the DOT also (Department of transportation) gets to give their insight with more great publications.
PLUS the building departments have their own unemployables who need to get involved in this waste disposal / sewer venting.
Sorry to keep going but as Master plumbers working for state, city, federal and other agencies (Foreign) there is no one code we follow sorry to have confused you with facts.
It is all part of doing business.
I didnt even talk about Military base/ship venting as each Branch of services have their OWN CODE with sewer gas venting and leak detection specifications and applications to handling waste and fumes. A plumber can make a living JUST in venting/drainage systems alone.
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THE LAW OF THE LAND IS QUITE CLEAR,
NO HARD BOILED EGGS WITH YOUR BEER.
THIS ACCUMULATED GAS,
WILL EVENTUALLY PASS;
WITH LOSS OF FRIENDS NEAR AND DEAR.Budski
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