10 Key Safety Practices for Plumbing Professionals

In the plumbing industry, safety is always an important part of the job. In this blog, we will highlight the essential plumbing safety topics and practices that plumbing professionals must adhere to for the best results. 

This content will cover the best safety practices, guidelines, and tools to ensure a secure working environment and to ensure that you can prevent accidents from happening on the job.

1. Be Properly Prepared for the Work

You will want to know in detail what type of job you will be working on as a plumber. You’ll want to educate yourself on the proper building codes and plumbing conditions you will be working under. You may even want to brush up on your skills before you show up at a job site to perform the work. Consider studying the type of work you will be doing before you reach the job site so you feel confident in yourself. 

2. Protect Your Eyes & Ears

Another key plumbing safety tip to adhere to is to properly protect your eyes and ears. Invest in some good eyewear that you can wear while working on the job. Sometimes performing plumbing work can be noisy or you may be at a noisy job site. Therefore, make sure you also protect your ears with the right type of hearing protection.

3. Have the Right Tools Handy

Working on fixing plumbing issues will require that you have the right set of tools or equipment with you. You should make sure you know how to properly use the equipment you have with you for the job. Get organized and maintain proper storage of these items and keep your vehicle nice and tidy so you can easily find what you need. Create a checklist prior to heading to a job site and make sure you have what you need with you to do the work.

4. Cover Up Your Skin

Another plumbing safety tip to consider is to cover up your skin such as your arms and hands. For example, you can wear a long-sleeved shirt for better protection and put on some gloves. Gloves can help prevent getting an infection or getting hurt. You never know when you may come into contact with mold or other hazardous substances. 

5. Be Mindful of Your Feet

You should focus on protecting your feet as yet another plumber safety tip. You may even want to invest in slip-resistant shoes or boots since you will likely be encountering water on a job site and it’s important that you avoid slipping and falling on the job site. It’ll be good to have these sturdy and well-made shoes or boots on in case you come into contact with any waste products as well.

6. Wear Proper PPE Gear

Your lungs are another important aspect you will want to protect when working in the plumbing industry. It is especially important if you encounter mold on the job. Protect yourself from dangerous fumes or inhaling mold by wearing a mask and proper PPE gear. This will help ensure you are protected from environmental hazards as well. 

7. Go through Proper Safety Training

Another key safety practice for plumbing technicians and plumbing professionals is to make sure you go through proper safety training. This is a good way to make sure you are properly prepared to tackle all different types of jobs and stay protected and out of harm’s way. You should be good about following company protocol and continuously brushing up on your skills to have as a plumbing technician, knowledge, and techniques. 

8. Protect Your Head

Plumbing jobs may require you to get down on your hands and knees to work or to work in small spaces. Therefore, you will also want to make sure that you are always protecting your head. It’s wise to have a hard hat readily available should you need or want to use it on the job. It can be especially useful when you are called to a construction site or for industrial type of work.

9. Take Good Care of Yourself

You don’t want to be sluggish or lacking energy on the job as a plumber, whether it’s residential or commercial plumbing. Therefore, make it a point to take good care of yourself and make sure you are always well-rested. This way you’ll be less likely to make silly mistakes or errors. Make sure you stay well hydrated on a plumbing job as well because your job may require you to work in extreme temperatures. 

10. Know Who to Contact in an Emergency Situation

You should also have your emergency contact information always handy. You never know when you may need to get in touch with someone from your company for help. Keep phone numbers handy for gas and electric companies, your company, and a building supervisor, for example.