CARIBBEAN MILITARY TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

INFORMATION SHEET

Group: Plumbing Job Certification

Unit: MEMCOR0141A: Follow principles of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) in Work
Environment
MEMMAH0071A: Perform manual handling and lifting
MEMMAH0081A: Perform housekeeping duties.
MEMMRD0462A: Carry out routine maintenance of plumbing systems to sustain
effective performance
MEMCOR0093A: Plan and organize work
MEMMRD0343A: Maintain the effective operation of storage and distribution systems
MEMINS0182A: Install Valves, Regulators and Metering Devices
MEMQUA0012A: Perform inspection (basic)
MEMFAB0173A: Test piping systems and equipment

Propose Date: March 18, 2024

Instructor/Demonstrator: Delroy Wallen, Gavin MAYNE, AND MR L STERN

UNIT 1: Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)?

Occupational Health and Safety is concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of
people engaged in work or employment. The goals of occupational safety and health programs
include fostering a safe and healthy work environment. OH&S may also protect co-workers,
family members, employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the
workplace environment.

Occupational safety and health can be important for moral, legal, and financial reasons. All
organizations have a duty of care to ensure that employees and any other person who may be
affected by the companies undertaking remain safe at all times. Moral obligations would involve
the protection of employee's lives and health. Legal reasons for OH&S practices relate to the
preventative, punitive and compensatory effects of laws that protect worker's safety and health.
OH&S can also reduce employee injury and illness related costs, including medical care, sick
leave and disability benefit costs, OH&S may involve interactions among many subject areas,
including occupational medicine, occupational hygiene, public health, safety
engineering, industrial engineering, chemistry, health, industrial and organizational
psychology, ergonomics, and occupational health psychology.

Occupational health should aim at, the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of
physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst
workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers
in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and
maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and
psychological capabilities; and, to summarize, the adaptation of work to man and of each man to
his job.

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The main focus in occupational health is on three different objectives:

The maintenance and promotion of workers’ health and working capacity

(i) The improvement of working environment and work to become conducive to safety and
health.

(iii) Development of work organizations and working cultures in a direction which supports
health and safety at work and in doing so also promotes a positive social climate and
smooth operation and may enhance productivity of the undertakings.

What is safety?

Is it someone with the title of safety inspector walking around the job site saying: "Don't do this
don’t do that. Wear your hard hat. Replace that machine guard" Does safety mean danger and
risk, or is it protection from injury or damage. It is all these things, of course, but it is also a great
deal more.

The word safety is very often used in the everyday life. According to Webster's New World

Dictionary the definition can be given as follow:

Safety: the quality or condition of being safe; freedom from danger, injury, or damage.

Security: the stability of a building, machine or other construction, the tranquility of

its operation and the fact that it does not endanger its environment. Safety is always

relative. It can be only defined if the condition of its surrounding is defined as well. It

only exists if the object/construction is not bearing force.

Workshop Safety

This manual contains information regarding safety in the workshop. However, the conditions and
particular circumstances of the specific workplace must be evaluated as part of the risk
assessment carried out by the employer, e.g. workplaces with a high ambient noise level may
pose additional risks to operators such as the possibility of distracting them. Sites on which a
large proportion of the operators do not have a sufficient grasp of the English language may need
special efforts to communicate safety and operating instructions.

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Personal Safety Equipment

Safety equipment is important for general shop safety rules. The specific type of personal safety
equipment to be used will be greatly determined by the actual type of equipment in the shop. The
most common personal safety equipment will be safety eye goggles, safety masks, dust masks,
gloves, hard hats and closed-toed shoes.

Safety in the Workshop

Workshops can be some of the most hazardous, high-risk places to work. That is why strong
workshop safety management is so vital.

Key questions to ask about your workshop safety.

 Is your workshop safety manual up-to-date?

 How up to date is your staff safety training?
 How do you ensure you keep informed about the latest safety legislation relevant for your
working environment?

Common Workshop Safety Issues

Slips, Trips and fall in the Workshop

One of the most common workshop safety issues are accidents from slipping, tripping or falling.
Workshop machinery adds a more dangerous element to the mix. Good housekeeping and staff
safety training can prevent a vast amount of these injuries.

Workshop Transport Safety - The most common form of transport used in the workshop is the
forklift truck. Heavy goods vehicles can also be brought into the workshop when dispatching or
receiving goods as can specialize equipment such as diggers and mobile cranes for tasks such as
the installation or maintenance of machinery. Extra care and attention is needed from both staff
and drivers to prevent accidents happening. Accidents can also happen when loading or
unloading delivery vehicles. Fumes from vehicles need to be properly ventilated to avoid
workplace pollution.

Manual Handling Safety in the Workshop

Manual handling is more than just lifting heavy items – it includes putting down, pushing,
pulling, carrying or moving of a load.

Safe Manual Handling

To avoid the hazards presented by manual handling, you will need to investigate whether manual
handling can be eliminated or reduced.

Solutions could involve:

 Adequate training on safe manual handling techniques for relevant staff

 Mechanical handling to eliminate the need for manual handling
 Mechanical assistance such as manual or electrical hoists or pneumatic platforms to assist
the manual handling

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Workshop Equipment Safety

Employers need to ensure that work equipment, of any age or source is safe to use and its use
doesn’t result in any health and safety risks.

The definition of work equipment is very wide and includes:

 Hand tools
 Workshop machinery
 Office machinery
 Lab equipment
 Lifting equipment
 General use equipment such as ladders and steps
 A series of machines connected together in a manufacturing line.

REPORT WORKPLACE HAZARDS FOLLOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

REPORTING WORKPLACE HAZARDS

All workplace hazards encountered in the course of daily activities should be noted and reported
to the appropriate personnel according to standard operating procedures. Hazards that may be
encountered could include:
• Manual handling
• Hazardous materials and substances
• Noise
• Slips and falls
• Electrical usage, etc.
There are procedures outlined for reporting hazards. One example is as follows:
1. In the event of an accident/injury or hazard/near miss, staff are required to immediately
report the incident to the Head of Division/Branch, School/Area, Department or Centre
and the relevant area Safety and Health Representative.

2. The report must be made by completing the official Incident Report form available from
the area Safety and Health Representative and ensuring that it is countersigned by the
Head of Division/Branch, School/Area, Department or Centre and the relevant area
Safety and Health Representative.

3. The report must be made by completing the official Incident Report form available from
the area Safety and Health Representative and ensuring that it is countersigned by the
Head of Division/Branch, School/Area, Department or Centre and the relevant area
Safety and Health Representative. (iii) This report must be made regardless of whether or
not the staff member who suffered the incident intends to claim Workers’ Compensation.

4. The completed and signed report form must be forwarded immediately to the Director,
Workplace Relations/Work Environment Unit.

CONTACTING APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL

The appropriate personnel or services should be contacted in the event of a range of accidents
including:

• Burns
• Poisons
• Broken limbs
• Eye accidents
• Spills
• Explosions
• Falls
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• Electrical accidents
Means of communication with emergency personnel along with procedures and reasons for
adopting standard procedures should also be identified.

EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PROCEDURE

If an emergency occurs, emergency procedures should be followed. These procedures may

include but limited to the isolation of the following equipment as appropriate:
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Hydraulic
• Pneumatic
• Emergency
• Steam and water
• Oxy fuel
It is important that the evacuation procedures of a company is described and understood clearly
by workers in an effort to ensure that evacuation occurs smoothly and safely.

Hazards

Most accidents occur when personnel are struck, run over or fall from moving vehicles, or from
vehicles overturning. Another source of danger is the load being carried by the vehicle such as a
fork lift truck; as often the load will not be within the dimensions of the vehicle and particular
care needs to be taken by the driver to ensure that overhangs do not injure personnel.

- Provide facilities to ensure that personnel do not have to climb onto loads, for example to
secure them.
- Provide safe means of lifting goods onto or off delivery vehicles.
- Ensure that vehicles reversing into the workshop are clearly visible. If this is not
possible, erect temporary barriers to exclude personnel from the danger area.
- Ensure that the fumes from the engines of delivery vehicles are properly ventilated and
do not pollute the atmosphere of the workshop.
- One of the most common injuries in the workshop is that sustained from slipping,
tripping or falling. Where the workshop contains machinery, the injuries resulting from
contact with the machinery as a result of slipping or tripping can be serious. Falling can
result in fractures and other injuries whether machinery is involved or not.

Hazardous Substances

A hazardous substance is simply a substance or mixture of substances which is hazardous to

health.
- Substances classified as dangerous to health under current CHIP regulations.
- Substances with occupational exposure limits.
- Certain biological agents (for example bacteria).
- Dust in concentration.
- Any substance, such as pesticides, which has comparable hazards to peoples' health (HSE
publications).

Hazardous Substances in the Workshop

Exposure to hazardous substances can occur during most workshop operations but frequently
occurs during:

- Machining where the material being machined may result in a harmful dust or may give
off toxic fumes.

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 - Welding, where the heating of metal can give off hazardous fumes.
- Painting where the vapor from paint thinners or solvents may be present a hazard.
- Cleaning and degreasing where solvents can present a hazard.
The following section contains further advice for the correct operation of local exhaust
ventilation (LEV). It is important that the local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is correctly designed
and installed to ensure that it has sufficient capacity to handle the volume of the harmful
substances anticipated, that the substances are drawn away from the operator and that the
ductwork discharges the contaminated air safely and not where it will cause contamination. The
system must be checked regularly to ensure that it is working effectively. It is a legal
requirement that LEV equipment is examined and tested.

Exposure to hazardous substances can occur during most workshop operations but
frequently occurs during:

- Machining where the material being machined causes harmful dust or may give off toxic
fumes
- Welding, where the heating of metal gives off hazardous fumes
- Painting where the vapor from paint thinners or solvents may be hazardous
- Cleaning and degreasing where solvents can be hazardous.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

- Ear Protection (Noise)

- Ear protection provides full coverage in loud work

environments. Keep your ears and hearing protected so that you
can focus on the task at hand.

- An employer has a duty to protect employees from excessive

noise. If you cannot hear a person speaking 2 meters away in a normal voice anywhere
in the workshop then the noise is likely to be excessive and a noise survey should be
carried out. An employer has a duty to protect employees from excessive noise. If you
cannot hear a person speaking 2 meters away in a normal voice anywhere in the
workshop then the noise is excessive a noise survey should be carried out.

- Work Clothing

- A significant contribution to safety in the workshop can be made by personnel being

dressed appropriately.
Clothing which has belts, ties or any other form of loose ends that can
become entangled in machinery should be avoided. Personnel, regularly
employed in the workshop, should not wear ties for the same reason. Loose,
full sleeves should be avoided. A one piece boiler-suit with buttoned cuffs
should be considered for all personnel regularly working at machinery.
Another issue to address with general shop safety rules is appropriate
clothing. Loose clothing, jewelry and even shoe laces can get caught in
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 power equipment and cause extreme injury. Make a list of the types of clothing that are
not allowed in the shop area. Go over the list with students and workers. Make certain
everyone understands how something as simple as a bracelet can get caught in
equipment.

- Hair

- If personnel in the workshop have long hair there is a danger of this being entangled on
rotating machinery and the person drawn in. The hair should be tied close to the head
using a hairnet to ensure no stray strands of hair can fall free.

- Eye Protection

- All personnel working in the workshop and visitors should wear protective safety glasses
whilst in the workshop.

Head Protection

- If there is any risk of tools or materials being dropped from above, or if personnel have to
move around under structures and machinery or the overhangs of these, then hard hats
should be considered.

- Hand and Arm Protection

- Hands and lower arms are the most vulnerable parts of the body as they frequently come
in contact with machinery and work pieces.

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 - Footwear

- If heavy objects are moved at any time in the workshop, boots with steel-capped toe
protectors should be used. The boots should be impervious to the fluids being used in
the workshop and have non-slip soles with a tread if ever used on wet floors.

Safety Partners
It is unlikely that it would be reasonable for an employer to allow an employee to work in
a workshop alone. The general workshop contains many items of machinery that could
pose a hazard to an operator and the risk to the operator from that hazard will be reduced
by the presence of a second person. It follows from this that the two employees should
be sited close enough together to communicate and give each other assistance in the case
of an emergency. Location of phones and extinguishers use in the event of an emergency
should be well-marked and highly visible.

Ladders

Ladders are convenient to use for short jobs where it would be prolonging the job considerably.
If other means such as scaffolding were to be contemplated. This however does lead to misuse
of ladders when more appropriate equipment should be used. Mobile platforms should be used
wherever possible in preference to ladders Precautions. If ladders are used the following
precautions should be noted.
It is unlikely that it would be reasonable for an employer to allow an employee to work in a
workshop alone. The general workshop contains many items of machinery that could pose a
hazard to an operator and the risk to the operator from that hazard will be reduced by the
presence of a second person. It follows from this that the two employees should be sited close
enough together to communicate and give each other assistance in the case of an emergency.
Location of phones and extinguishers use in the event of an emergency should be well-marked
and highly visible.
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Types of Ladders

The very first thing you must decide before actually using a ladder is which type of ladder will
work the best for the job at hand. Understanding the different types of ladders and their functions
will allow you to make an informed decision and you will then be able to complete your task
more efficiently and safely. Ladders have come a long way since originally being invented, and
today there are multiple types of ladders; each made with a specific function and task in mind.

Step Ladders: Step ladders are the most commonly used ladder in the industry. In contrast to
extension ladders; step ladders are self-supportable meaning they do not need to be leaned
against any type of support to be used. As this is the case, they may be used in the middle of the
room, underneath a tree for trimming or a variety of other locations where support is not
available for an extension ladder. There are two major varieties of step ladders; the first is a
simple front step ladder. On the front step ladder you will find rungs on one side of the ladder
and the other side is designed only for support and is not to be climbed on. The more popular
variety is the twin step ladder which provides rungs on either side of the ladder allowing you to
climb up whichever side is more convenient and allows you and a friend to climb the ladder
simultaneously.

Extension Ladders: Extension or "straight" ladders are normally the first type that comes to
mind when you think of a ladder. This type is used to reach high places and most be leaned
against some type of support; such as a house, wall, or tree before it can be used. Most extension
ladders consist of two parts; the main piece is called the "base" and should always being firmly
placed on the ground. The second part is called the "fly" and it is a moveable piece that can
extend above the bed to allow the extension ladder to reach higher. Usually this sliding is done
by use of a rope or hooks. This means most extension ladders have the ability to reach higher
than you may first think when you see it "out of the box".

Platform Ladders: A platform ladder is a front step ladder with a platform as its top step. A top
rail guard is usually around two feet higher than the platform to provide safety while you are
working. Platform ladders provide that higher level of comfort you look for while standing on a
ladder for any amount of time. You won’t be killing the bottom of your feet or your shins when
you stand on the platform. This ladder allows you to work on any project that requires you to
use two hands as safely as if you were on the ground itself. Being able to rotate around and work
in whichever direction you need helps you to work safer and faster.

Step Stools: A step stool is great to have for any room of the house. In the kitchen a step stool
safely allows you to reach the top shelves of your cabinet. In the pantry you can reach any shelf
you need. In the laundry room you are able to reach the overhead cabinets. Keeping one in your
closet helps you to grab your clothes you have stored above your hanging shirts. Many step
stools are designed to fold down almost flat which makes it a cinch to slid in between your
washer and dryer.
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Multi-purpose Ladders: People find this type of ladder attractive due to the fact that it is able to
change into so many positions; giving the user a variety of options when completing different
tasks around the house or on the job. Multi-purpose ladders are able to be opened into a step
ladder position in order to be climbable and fully self-supportable. They can also be fully opened
into an extended position allowing them to reach higher locations; but just like with your normal
extended ladder you must have some support to lean the ladder against. One of the most
convenient things with a multi-purpose ladder is the ability to use one ladder and make
scaffolding for your planks or platforms. Finally, the multi-purpose ladder can be completely
closed when not in use into a storage position which makes storing it easy and efficient.

Telescoping Ladders: A telescoping ladder is simply a ladder that is able to slide in and out to
adjust in size and does so by the use of overlapping sections. There are a large variety of
telescoping ladders in the industry today, the most popular of which is the ladder produced by
Tele steps. Like many of the telescoping ladders available, the Telesteps ladder has the ability to
fully extend into a useable extension ladder as while as shrink into a very compact, easy-to-carry
ladder. Other types of telescoping ladders include multipurpose ladders and some step ladders.

Folding Ladders: These ladders get their name from their ability to fold up when not in use for
extremely easy storage. Folding ladders are normally used for smaller inside tasks. Folding
ladders have large steps rather than the skinny rungs found on step or extension ladders. These
ladders make great additions to every home, small business or motor home. If you often find
yourself climbing on chairs or other objects that weren't meant to be climbed on, you need to
look into some type of a folding ladder. When completely closed, most folding ladders will fit in
small places such as under the bed or in a closet completely out of sight. They are light weight
and easy to use, making them that much more convenient and safe around the house.

Safety Precautions

• Read and follow all labels/markings on the ladder.

• Avoid electrical hazards! – Look for overhead power lines before handling a ladder.
Avoid using a metal ladder near power lines or exposed energized electrical equipment.
• Always inspect the ladder prior to using it. If the ladder is damaged, it must be removed
from service and tagged until repaired or discarded.
• Always maintain a 3-point (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand)
contact on the ladder when climbing. Keep your body near the middle of
the step and always face the ladder while climbing (see diagram).
• Only use ladders and appropriate accessories (ladder levelers, jacks or
hooks) for their designed purposes.
• Ladders must be free of any slippery material on the rungs, steps or feet.
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 • Do not use a self-supporting ladder (e.g., step ladder) as a single ladder or in a partially
closed position.
• Do not use the top step/rung of a ladder as a step/rung unless it was designed for that
purpose.
• Use a ladder only on a stable and level surface, unless it has been secured (top or bottom)
to prevent displacement.
• Do not place a ladder on boxes, barrels or other unstable bases to obtain additional
height.
• Do not move or shift a ladder while a person or equipment is on the ladder.
• An extension or straight ladder used to access an elevated surface
must extend at least 3 feet above the point of support (see
diagram). Do not stand on the three top rungs of a straight, single
or extension ladder.
• The proper angle for setting up a ladder is to place its base a
quarter of the working length of the ladder from the wall or other
vertical surface (see diagram).
• A ladder placed in any location where it can be displaced by other
work activities must be secured to prevent displacement or a
barricade must be erected to keep traffic away from the ladder.
• Be sure that all locks on an extension ladder are properly engaged.
• Do not exceed the maximum load rating of a ladder. Be aware of the ladder’s load rating
and of the weight it is supporting, including the weight of any tools or equipment.

Storage and maintenance

 Store ladder where they are not exposed to weather

 Ladder should be cleaned on an regular basis

 Moving parts should be kept clean an lubricated

 Store ladders horizontally on rocks, with support every 2m (6ft)

 Inspect for common defects such as broken rungs, split side rails ,worn or broken safety
feet, and oil or grease which can make climbing surfaces slippery

 Tag a defective ladder for repair or replacement

 Destroy ladders that cannot be safely repaired

 Prohibit repairs which include tying or binding with wire , prohibiting the painting of
ladders as this can hide cracks or other weak points

What is the scaffolding?

Scaffolding is a temporary structure to support the original structure as well as workmen used it
as a platform to carry on the construction or repair works. A type of scaffolding varies with the

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type of construction work. Scaffolding is made up of timber or steel. It should be stable and
strong to support workmen and other construction material placed on it.

Types of Scaffolding used in Construction:

Following are types of Scaffolding in construction:

1. Single scaffolding
2. Double scaffolding
3. Cantilever scaffolding
4. Suspended scaffolding
5. Trestle scaffolding
6. Steel scaffolding
7. Patented scaffolding

Single Scaffolding:
Single scaffolding is generally used for brick masonry and is also called as brick layer’s
scaffolding. Single scaffolding consists of standards, ledgers, putlogs etc., which is parallel to the
wall at a distance of about 1.2 m. Distance between the standards is about 2 to 2.5 m. Ledgers
connect the standards at vertical interval of 1.2 to 1.5 m. Putlogs are taken out from the hole left
in the wall to one end of the ledgers. Putlogs are placed at an interval of 1.2 to 1.5 m.

Double Scaffolding:
Double Scaffolding is generally used for stone masonry so, it is also called as mason’s
scaffolding. In stone walls, it is hard to make holes in the wall to support putlogs. So, two rows
of scaffolding is constructed to make it strong. The first row is 20 – 30 cm away from the wall
and the other one is 1m away from the first row. Then putlogs are placed which are supported by
the both frames. To make it more stronger, rakers and cross braces are provided. This is also
called as independent scaffolding.

Cantilever Scaffolding:
This type of scaffolding which the standards are supported on series of needles and these needles
are taken out through holes in the wall. This is called single frame type scaffolding. In the other
type needles are strutted inside the floors through the openings and this is called independent or
double frame type scaffolding. Care should be taken while construction of cantilever scaffolding.
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Generally cantilever scaffoldings are used under conditions such as

 When the ground does not having the capacity to support standards,
 When the Ground near the wall is to be free from traffic,
 When upper part of the wall is under construction.

Suspended Scaffolding:
In suspended scaffolding, the working platform is suspended from roofs with the help of wire
ropes or chains etc., it can be raised or lowered to our required level. This type of scaffolding is
used for repair works, pointing, paintings etc.

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Trestle Scaffolding:
In Trestle scaffolding, the working platform is supported on movable tripods or ladders. This is
generally used for work inside the room, such as paintings, repairs etc., up to a height of 5m.

Steel Scaffolding:
Steel scaffolding is constructed by steel tubes which are fixed together by steel couplers or
fittings. It is very easy to construct or dismantle. It has greater strength, greater durability and

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higher fire resistance. It is not economical but will give more safety for workers. So, it is used
extensively nowadays.

Patented Scaffolding:
Patented scaffoldings are made up of steel but these are equipped with special couplings and
frames etc., these are readymade scaffoldings which are available in the market. In this type of
scaffolding working platform is arranged on brackets which can be adjustable to our required
level.

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Aerial Lifts
They are also known as aerial platforms. The most common are vehicle-mounted aerial platforms
(scissor type), and vehicle-mounted aerial lifts with telescopic and rotating boom. They allow
workers to access multiple levels in order to do their job.

Aerial lift scaffolding

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 General
Scaffold
Requirements

 Scaffold

components must be able to support at least four times their maximum intended load.
 The scaffolding platform should be fully planked, with no more than a 1-inch gap
between planks or planks and uprights.
 The gap between the last plank and the uprights should be less than 9½ inches.
 All platforms should be at least 18 inches wide.
 Guardrail systems or personal fall-arrest systems should be employed where needed.
 The scaffold (minus the guardrail) should be 14 inches or less from the work face, or 18
inches for plastering and lathing.
 Planks should not extend past the ends of the scaffold frames more than 12 inches.
 Casters must be locked before work begins.
 Platform surfaces should be secured and cleated.
 The platform should be free from clutter and any tripping hazards.
 Scaffolding, material and workers must remain at least 10 feet away from power lines.
 The top and bottom plank surfaces should be visible and free from opaque finishes.
 Abutted planks must rest on separate support surfaces.
 Scaffolding components made by different manufacturers must fit together without force.
 A defective scaffold must be removed from service.

Supported Scaffold Requirements

 The height-to-base width ratio should be less than 4:1. Scaffolds that do not meet this
requirement must be secured using ties such that the following are true:
o the inner and outer legs are supported;
o vertical ties repeat every 20 feet or less for scaffolds that are 3 feet or less in
width;
o vertical ties repeat every 26 feet or less for scaffolds that are greater than 3 feet in
width; and
o Scaffolds with a height-to-base ratio of greater than 4:1 are restrained from
tipping by guying, tying or bracing.

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  All scaffold frames and uprights should use base plates, and mud sills are required if it is
set on dirt.
 Footings should be level, sound and rigid. No settling should have occurred.
 Unstable objects, such as blocks, bricks and buckets, should not be used as work
platforms or to support scaffolds.
 Scaffolds should be erected on adequate and firm footings that can support four times the
intended load without settling.
 Riggers should be secured and installed correctly.

Scaffold Access

 No more than a 2-foot step up or down or a 14-inch step across should be required to get
on or off the platform.
 The first rung of the ladder should not be more than 2 feet above the ground.
 Hook-on and attachable ladders should be of a type designed for use with the scaffold.
 Add-on ladders must have a rung length of at least 11½ inches.
 Built-in ladders that are part of the scaffold frames must have a rung length of at least 8
inches.
 Wooden planks must be free of cracks and splits greater than 1/4-inch.
 Metal components must be free of bends, cracks, holes, rust, welding splatter, pits,
broken welds, and non-compatible parts.
 Ladder rungs must line up vertically for the entire height of the scaffold.
 Cross-braces are prohibited for use as a point of access, or for climbing up or down.
 Ladders should be positioned so as to not tip the scaffold.
 Hook-on and attachable ladders must have rung lengths of at least 11½ inches.
 Hook-on and attachable ladders must have uniformly spaced rungs, with a maximum
spacing between rungs of 16¾ inches.
 Stairway-type ladders must have slip-resistant treads on all steps and landings.
 Ramps and walkways 6 inches or more above lower levels must have guardrails.
 Ramps and walkways must be inclined with a slope less than 20º above the horizontal.
 Integral, pre-fabricated scaffold access frames should be constructed for use as ladder
rungs, and have rung lengths of at least 8 inches.
 Safe access must be provided for all scaffold platforms that are more than 2 feet above or
below the point of access.
 Rest platforms must be installed every 35 vertical feet.

Use

 A scaffold and its components must not be loaded beyond their capacity.
 The use of shore or lean-to scaffolds is prohibited.
 Any damaged component must be removed, repaired or replaced.
 Occupied scaffolds must not be moved, unless the scaffold is designed for movement by
a professional engineer or is a mobile scaffold.
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  The scaffold should not be used in slippery conditions, such as when snow or ice
is present, except to remove such hazards.
 Tag lines should be used to control loads being hoisted onto or near scaffolding.
 Tools, material and debris should be removed from the scaffold to prevent accumulation
and trip hazards.
 No makeshift devices, such as boxes or barrels, may be used to increase the working-
level height.
 No ladders may be placed on the top of the scaffold deck, except under certain large-area
scaffolds.
 Provisions need to be made to prevent the platform from deflecting more than 1/60-inch.

Fall Protection

 Some form of personal fall protection is required on all scaffolds higher than 10 feet.
 Fall-arrest systems must be used in high-wind or storm conditions.
 Guardrails must be free of sharp edges.
 Mesh or screens, if equipped, must extend from the top of the guardrail or platform.
 Steel or plastic bands may not be used as railings.
 Requirements regarding falling objects are:
o Employees on a scaffold must be protected by toe boards, debris nets or a canopy.
o The area below must be protected by barricades, canopies or toe boards on
scaffolds higher than 10 feet.
o Toe boards must be able to withstand 50 pounds of force and be 3½ inches wide.

In summary, scaffolds can be inspected in many ways to ensure the safety of construction
workers using them.
Cleaning Up
Welding Shops have strict clean-up requirements. After each project is completed, welders
should clean the area and ensure that all tools are returned to their allocated place. This helps
limit injuries when welding, as it will reduce the risk of shop employees falling or tripping over
other tools or objects. Before leaving your area at the end of your shift it is important to have
the shop supervisor or a co-worker check that your area is secure and safe.
Clean Work Areas
One of the biggest problems in a general shop area is the potential for accidents. Students and
workers must be taught the importance of cleaning their work stations on a regular basis. All
equipment and items must be put back in their proper storage areas after each use. It's
imperative that you do not let a general shop become cluttered and disorganized in order to
prevent accidents.

What is fire?
A process in which substance combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give
out bright light, heat and smoke; combustion or burning.

19
Types of Fires

Not all fires are the same. Different fuels create different fires and require different types of fire
extinguishing agents.

Class A

Class A fires are fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, trash, and
plastics.
Class B

Class B fires are fires in flammable liquids such as gasoline, petroleum oil and paint. Class
B fires also include flammable gases such as propane and butane. Class B fires do not
include fires involving cooking oils and grease.
Class C

Class C fires are fires involving energized electrical equipment such as motors,
transformers, and appliances. Remove the power and the Class C fire becomes one of the
other classes of fire.

Class D

Class D fires are fires in combustible metals such as potassium, sodium, aluminum, and
magnesium.

Class K

Class K fires are fires in cooking oils and greases such as animals fats and vegetable fats.

Some types of fire extinguishing agents can be used on more than one class of fire. Others have
warnings where it would be dangerous for the operator to use a particular fire extinguishing
agent.

OH&S Requirements

20
You are expected to recognize and adhere to OH&S requirements associated with given tasks
and the workplace environment. OH&S requirements are to be in place to ensure the safe
working environment. You should therefore review safety-operating procedures applicable to
handling engineering/construction materials and safe dispose/storage of them.

The problems of handling materials, specifically those, such as asbestos (ABS), lead, and others
recognized for their hazards to human health are known, and they are avoided in new
construction. You should, however, be able to recognize them.

Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment

You should select for use the personal and protective equipment that offer you, and others,
ample protection from hazards specific to the tasks. Personal protective equipment will include:

 Safety goggles/glasses

 Gloves

 Boots

 Respirators

 Dust masks

 Appropriately fitted clothing.

Persons who work with material storage will be faced with conditions such as:

 abrasiveness and corrosion

 hygroscopicity (tending to absorb water vapor on its surface)
 Static electricity
 Powderiness ( a cloud of powder, if primed, may explode or give rise to a fire)
 Toxicity- (toxicity of vapor or gas that may be generated by the material)
Quality Assurance Regulations
Quality assurance refers to the workplace operations and procedures that are set out as written
information/specifications necessary for handling and storage/disposal of materials.
Much planning and adherence to specifications is necessary for handling specific types of
materials. You will need to adhere to all specifications – especially as they relate to:

 Workplace operations and procedures.

 The control and handling procedures
 The use and maintenance of lifting and transporting equipment.

UNIT 2: PERFORM HOUSEKEEPING DUTIES

What is housekeeping?

Housekeeping is fundamental to maintain a clean, tidy and safe working environment.

Why should we pay attention to housekeeping at work?

Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace hazards and help get a job done safely and
properly. Poor housekeeping can frequently contribute to accidents by hiding hazards that cause
21
injuries. If the sight of paper, debris, clutter and spills is accepted as normal, then other more
serious health and safety hazards may be taken for granted. Housekeeping is not just cleanliness.
It includes keeping work areas neat and orderly, maintaining halls and floors free of slip and trip
hazards and removing of waste materials (e.g., paper, cardboard) and other fire hazards from
work areas. It also requires paying attention to important details such as the layout of the whole
workplace, aisle marking, the adequacy of storage facilities and maintenance. Good
housekeeping is also a basic part of accident and fire prevention. Effective housekeeping is an
ongoing operation: it is not a hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally. Periodic "panic" cleanups
are costly and ineffective in reducing accidents.

What is the purpose of workplace housekeeping?

The purpose of housekeeping is to reduce or eliminate accidents in the work environment.

Therefore poor housekeeping can be a cause of accidents, such as:

 Tripping over loose objects on floors, stairs and platforms

 Being hit by falling objects
 Slipping on greasy, wet or dirty surfaces
 Striking against projecting, poorly stacked items or misplaced material
 Cutting, puncturing, or tearing the skin of hands or other parts of the body on projecting
nails, wire or steel strapping

To avoid these hazards, a workplace must "maintain" order throughout a workday. Although this
effort requires a great deal of management and planning, the benefits are many.

OH&S Requirements

You are expected to recognize and adhere to OH&S requirements associated with given tasks
and the workplace environment. OH&S requirements are to be in place to ensure the safe
working environment. You should therefore review safety-operating procedures applicable to
handling engineering/construction materials and safe dispose/storage of them.

The problems of handling materials, specifically those, such as asbestos (ABS), lead, and others
recognized for their hazards to human health are known, and they are avoided in new
construction. You should, however, be able to recognize them.

Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment

You should select for use the personal and protective equipment that offer you, and others,
ample protection from hazards specific to the tasks. Personal protective equipment will include:
 Safety goggles/glasses
 Gloves
 Boots
 Respirators
 Dust masks
 Appropriately fitted clothing.
Persons who work with material storage will be faced with conditions such as:
 abrasiveness and corrosion
 Hygroscopicity (tending to absorb water vapor on its surface)
 Static electricity
 Powerlines ( a cloud of powder, if primed, may explode or give rise to a fire)
 Toxicity- (toxicity of vapor or gas that may be generated by the material)

Quality Assurance Regulations

22
Quality assurance refers to the workplace operations and procedures that are set out as written
information/specifications necessary for handling and storage/disposal of materials.
Much planning and adherence to specifications is necessary for handling specific types of
materials. You will need to adhere to all specifications, especially as they relate to:
 Workplace operations and procedures.
 The control and handling procedures
 The use and maintenance of lifting and transporting equipment.

Tools and Equipment for Handling Materials

The selection of tools and equipment for use in handling materials/goods is critical for the
quality and precise requirements of the job. The range of these tools and equipment may include
but not limited to:
 material hoists, forklifts, pallet trolley, buckets, wheelbarrows
 wet/dry industrial vacuum, shovels, rakes, hoses, brooms

You are to ensure the working conditions/serviceability of tools and equipment selected. You are
to ensure that you receive training in the use of equipment.

Correct Manual Handling, Sort and Stack Engineering/Construction Material

Handling Characteristics of Materials

You are to consider the risks from manual handling to your health and safety and act to minimize
these risks by identifying and understanding the handling characteristics of materials. You
should:
 Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, as far as is reasonable, by reorganizing
the work for automating tasks when possible.
 Assess the risk of injury in relation to load, task, working environment, and your
capability as a handler.
When material is to be moved manually you should seek help where a load is so bulky that it
cannot be properly grasped. OH&S requires control of risks and involves steps to eliminate or
reduce the risks. Steps to minimize risks include:
 Deliver materials, such as cement, close to the work area.
 Use mechanical lift devices for unloading/loading trucks.
 Use trolley, wheelbarrows, and other aids to move materials.
 Store materials as close as possible to waist-height
 Maintain clear space above materials to be lifted.
 When using materials packaged in bags, use smaller size bags for manual handling.

Specific Handling Requirements for Hazardous Materials Applied

The problems of handling hazardous materials have been recognized for their hazards to human
health, and some of them, including asbestos and lead, are avoided in new construction. You
will, however, be exposed to some harmful chemicals, odors, loud noise, and even dangerous
machinery. To avoid injury, to yourself or to others, you are to adhere strictly to the specified
handling requirements for each hazardous material. Some specifications may include:
 How to handle spillage
 The movement of quantities
 Heights and conditions for storage
You should also wear safety clothing, such as gloves and hardhat, and devices that protect your
eyes, mouth, and ear.
NOTE: a) Report faults to supervisor:
b) Be especially careful about materials that may be on the sole of your boots.
23
 c) Be reminded that some materials, such as leather, are difficult to decontaminate
adequately.

Materials Stored, Stacked/Stockpiled and Protected

Stored material must not create hazards. Storage area must be kept free of from materials that
may cause tripping, fires, or explosions, or that they may contribute to the harboring of rats and
other pests. When stacking and piling materials, you should be aware of the height and weight,
and how accessible the stored materials are to the point where they will be delivered and used.
You should therefore observe height limits. Other conditions include, but not limited to:

 Remove nails before stacking used lumber.

 Bags and bundles must be stacked in interlocking rows
 Store fragile materials in bins or on shelves.
 Drums barrels and kegs are stacked symmetrically.
 Store materials so that they are not protruded and subjected to damage

Appropriate Signage and Barricades Erected

You are to refer to company’s policy to erect appropriate signs, and barricades to isolate
materials from access and from traffic. For quick reference, walls and post may be painted with
stripes to remind you and others of danger. You could also post:
 Directional signs.
 Signs indicating restrictions to areas.
 Signs indicating potential dangers, like the storage of chemicals, slipperiness.
 No smoking signs.
Where storage is very critical temporary barricades should be erected.

WHAT IS A SAFETY SIGN?

Signs and symbols appropriately used can provide ever-present information and warnings of
hazards which are essential to safety at work, and in some instances may be independent of
language. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 require employers
to provide and maintain safety signs where there is significant risk to health and safety that has
not been avoided or controlled by other means (e.g. safe systems of work) provided that the use
of a sign can help reduce the risk. All workplaces and activities where people are employed are
covered (with exceptions relating to the transport and supply & marketing of dangerous
substances, products and equipment). They also require, where necessary, the use of road traffic
signs in workplaces to regulate road traffic. Employers must also ensure that all employees
receive appropriate information, instruction and training regarding safety signs.

24
Safety Colors

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require that workplace hazards be
marked to alert employees to dangers that exist at a facility or worksite. Depending on the
specific situation, different regulations could apply. OSHA requirements are often non-
prescriptive in regards to size, colour and wording of markings. To help provide uniformity
among organizations and industry, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have developed and published the ANSI
series of standards for safety signs and colours. The colour(s) of the labels and tape identify the
type of hazard, which helps the employee identify the level of severity. The intent is to reduce
the possibility of accidents and injuries.

Safety Red Fire protection equipment, containers of flammable liquids,

lights at barricades and obstructions, stop bars and switches on machinery, fire alarm boxes, fire
exit signs, sprinkler piping

25
 Safety Yellow Caution, physical hazard, construction equipment, handrails,
Guardrails, material Handling Equipment, piping systems containing dangerous materials, waste
containers, exposed, unguarded edges

Safety Orange Dangerous parts of machinery, inside of movable guards,

safety starting buttons, exposed parts

Safety Blue Caution, equipment under repair. Warnings should be located

at the starting point or power source of machinery.

Safety Green Safety, first aid equipment, safety bulletin boards, gas, masks,
stretchers, safety deluge showers.

Black & White Traffic and housekeeping markings, dead ends of aisles or
passageways, stairways, directional signs, and refuse cans.

Safety Purple Designates radiation hazards. Often used in combination with yellow
on tags, labels, signs, and floor markers.

UNIT 3: PERFORM MANUAL HANDLING AND

LIFTING
What is Manual Handling?

Manual handling means lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving, holding or
restraining any object, animal or person.

26
Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing or
pulling. But it's not just a case of 'pulling something' due to the weight of the item, although this
can be a cause of injury. Injuries can be caused because of the amount of times you have to pick
up or carry an item, the distance you are carrying it, the height you are picking it up from or
putting it down at (picking it up from the floor, putting it on a shelf above shoulder level) and
any twisting, bending, stretching or other awkward posture you may get in whilst doing a task.

Manual handling is one of the most common causes of injury at work and causes over a third of
all workplace injuries which include work related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) such as
upper and lower limb pain/disorders, joint and repetitive strain injuries of various. Manual
handling injuries can occur almost anywhere in the workplace by heavy manual labour, awkward
postures and previous or existing injury can increase the risk. Work related manual handling
injuries can have serious implications for both the employer and the person who has been
injured. Employers may have to bear substantial costs, through lost production, sickness, absence
costs of retraining, wages/overtime to cover for the absent person and potentially compensation
payments. The injured person may find that their ability to do their job is affected and there may
be an impact on their lifestyle, leisure activities, ability to sleep and future job prospects.

It is essential therefore those employers manage the risks to their employees. If possible you
should not carry out any manual handling tasks. Where these are necessary mitigate the risk by
using some equipment - trolleys, fork lift truck etc. Where tasks are essential and cannot be done
using lifting equipment, conveyors or wheeled trolleys/cages, a suitable and sufficient risk
assessment should be conducted.

Determination of Material Weight

The following techniques can be applied when lifting material weight:

 Step 1 - Make sure your feet are firmly placed about 2440 cm (1015 in.) apart. Place one
foot alongside the object being lifted and the other behind it.

 Step 2 - Grasp the object using the palmer grip the fingers and the hand should be
extended around the object to be lifted using the full palm.

 Step 3 - Using the knee-bend or squatting position, keep the back straight. Tuck in the
chin so the neck and head continue the straight back line.

 Step 4 - Tuck arms and elbows into the side of the body and position the body so that
your weight is centered.

 Step 5 - Start lifting with a thrust of the rear foot, keeping the object close to your body as
you lift with your legs, not with your back.

 Step 6 - Carry the load close to your body not on extended arms. To turn or change your
position, shift your feet. Do not twist your back.

27
CORRECT MANUAL HANDLING TECHNIQUES USED
How much you can lift and carry depends on a number of factors – your fitness and robustness,
and the awkwardness of the load being two of the most important. Before you handle any object,
it is sensible to ensure that there is adequate room, a clear path to the destination, and adequate
room to set down the load. There are some basic handling techniques that you should follow.
These include, but not limit to:

 Stop and think – plan the lift, remove obstructions, check for rough or sharp edges, and
wear protective clothing.

 Adopt a good posture – when lifting from low-level bend the knees, keep your back
straight, lean forward a little over the load to get a good grip, and keep shoulders level
and facing the same direction as the load.

 Get a firm grip – keep close to the load; don’t jerk; move the feet – don’t twist the trunk
when turning; put down the load then adjust.

Materials Stacked/Banded for Mechanical Handling

When mechanically moving materials the weight and shape of the material dictate the type of
equipment used for lifting and transporting. Materials handling equipment has rated capacity that
determine the maximum weight that the equipment can handle, and the conditions under which it
can handle those weights and shapes. The manufacturer’s operational requirements dictate that
all materials should be stacked/banded in accordance with the type of materials and the
plant/equipment to be used. Some considerations include:

 Consideration should be given to materials height and weight, and how accessible the
stored material should be from the point of use.
 All bound material should be stacked, placed on racks, blocked, interlocked, or otherwise
should be prevented from sliding, falling, or collapsing.
 Bags and bundles are stocked in interlocking rows to remain secure.
 Drums, barrels and kegs are stacked symmetrically and if they are stored on their sides
they should be blocked to keep them from rolling.

Dogman/Rigger Assisted with Loading, Unloading, Moving, Locating and/or Installing

Materials.

28
Handling and storing engineering materials involve diverse operations such as hoisting tons of
steel with cranes, driving trucks, and simply loading, unloading, moving, locating, and or
installing materials. All of this is necessary to provide efficient handling and storing, and to
provide a continuous flow of raw materials through the workplace.
While lifting equipment is particularly critical, one must at all times account for the human and
equipment safety. All slinging and rigging operations should be carried out in safe and
professional manner, and can only be carried out if the right equipment is available. The
following should therefore be observed:

 Operations must be undertaken only by trained and competent persons.

 Only lifting/rigging equipment that has test certificates and current inspection reports
should be used.
 Do not use lifting equipment for any load exceeding its stated Safe Working Load
(SWL).
 All hooks used for lifting must be fitted with safety catch, or so shaped as to prevent the
sling eye or load coming off the hook.
 Never drag a sling from under any load if it is not free.
 Ensure good communication between ground crew and riggers working at height

Materials Safely Handled with Assistance of Pallet Trolley, Fork lift or Hoist

If you are to safely handle and store materials often, the use a forklift or hoist, or the assistance
of pallet trolleys, and other basic motorized equipment is recommended. Some of the equipment
may be powered by electrical motors, or with internal combustion engines. You are to be aware
of:

 The safety requirements pertaining to the use of the equipment.

 The design capability of the equipment.
 The maintenance requirements
 The need for basic competence of the operator.

As with other motorized equipment, you will need to be trained in the use of the equipment,
whether they are: Motorized and can be driven.

29
Hand operated

When mechanically moving materials, you are to be conversant with the capabilities that
determine the maximum weight that can safely be handled by the equipment.

Waste Materials Handle Correctly and OH&S

A company considers the risks from handling waste to the health and safety of employees, and
ensures that waste material is handled correctly and safely. Waste may be generated from, but
not limited to:
 Unused chemicals and compounds used for curing finished concrete
 Construction excavating, digging, drilling, and blasting
 Contaminated materials
 Spoilt/broken and unused construction materials

Waste materials should be handled safely and according to occupational health and safety
requirements, combined with requirements of regulatory authorities, such as:

 Parish Council (Building/Construction regulations)

 National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA)
 Public Health Authority

Hazardous Material Identified for Separate Handling

The presence of hazardous materials or toxic chemicals at the engineering/construction site adds
new dimension of risk to those handling the materials. The fundamental difference between
hazardous materials incident and other emergencies is the potential for acute risk from
contamination. The company therefore has procedures for compliance with requirements of
current rules and regulations. You should always comply with these rules and follow the
instructions of your supervisors, and be conversant with instructions relating to the handling of
hazardous material. You should also learn the characteristics of hazardous materials, and be able
to identify them for separate handling. This may require you to:

30
  Identify the presence of materials such as asbestos and lead (not now used in new
construction).
 Identify and handle flammable and combustible solids. (plastic foams, for example, are
high fire risk and need careful control, storage, and handling).

NOTE: When on location ensure you make yourself aware of the site procedures and
legislation regarding the use and specific handling techniques for hazardous
materials.
Non-Toxic Materials Removed Using Correct Procedures
Engineering/construction debris that does not meet the regulatory definition of hazardous or
toxic waste may be disposed of along with commercial rubbish. Local jurisdiction, however, may
dictate the method of disposal of specific types of non-toxic material.
Your responsibility may be to stockpile waste to be removed by contractors.
NOTE: It is illegal for landfills to accept non-toxic liquid waste.

Dust Suppression Procedures Used to Minimize Health Risk to Work Personnel and Others

Engineering/construction work may include tunneling for roads and highways, laying pipelines
for sewer or electrical conduits, preparation of sites, and digging for foundations. Hazards in this
type of work (apart from hard physical labor) include combinations of dust and chemical
vapors. The main sources of dust are:
 Airborne silica dust from compressed air drilling and pneumatic hammers, and from
removal of soil. (Limestone, marble, and salt is, for practical purpose, completely
free of silica).
 Cement dust is generated when cement is mixed. This dust is an irritant to respiratory and
mucous membrane.
Dust suppression technology should be applied in all instances. The prevention of exposure to
dust should first be implemented by technological means, such as wetting of material before it is
pulled down, spraying with water, covering, and the use of appropriate vacuum cleaner.
Technical control measures may not be sufficient to lower concentration of dust to any
acceptable and desirable levels, so it may be necessary to supplement the protection of workers
by use of respirators.

Unused Materials Removed Using Correct Procedures

In the clean-up process materials on site is sorted into unused materials, and waste. Unused
materials have to be brought back into the company’s inventory. This requires that you should
sort, stack/stockpile unused materials in accordance with company’s procedures for storage.
Unused materials should be sorted by type, and should be made free from dirt, mortar, and
protruding nails. For materials kept in cans and bottles, these contenders should be properly
sealed and labeled. You are to seek the guidance of your supervisor in the handling of un-used
materials.

Waste Materials Disposed of Safely

31
Specific steps are to be taken to ensure the safe disposal of waste material in accordance with
regulatory requirements. If debris does not meet regulatory definition of hazardous materials it
may be disposed of with commercial rubbish.

 Unwanted materials should be stockpiled at a designated site

 Hazardous waste, including substances, and possible contaminated trash should be
secured in a container with cover for disposal at regular intervals
 Hazardous materials such as oily rags, chemicals and containers should be removed from
the site and be disposed of in approved manner, so as not to contaminate water source, or
be available to unsuspecting persons

Site Cleaned and Cleared of Debris and Unwanted Material

In this exercise you will work to clean and clear the site of debris and unwanted material. As all
useful material has been removed to storage, this becomes the final step in the cleaning process.
You should clean and clear the site of:
 Excess concrete and concrete spillage.
 Unwanted scraps from sheet material, timber, and planks.
 Cardboard, and paper
 Disturbed soil, and accumulated dust
 Debris and unwanted materials should be stored in bins or at appropriate stockpile for
removal.
 You are to conform to company rules and occupational health and safety requirements by
wearing appropriate safety gears, and apply dust suppression procedures such as spraying
with water, and use of industrial type vacuum cleaners.

Undertaking Lifting Techniques

32
Lifting techniques should be undertaken to safe work standards and standard operating
procedures. Guidelines for lifting could include:

 Plan the lift

 Determine the best technique

 Take a secure grip on the object

 Draw the load closer to the body

 Vary handling tasks with lighter work

 Team lifting

 Pushing and pulling

 Training

Selecting Appropriate Equipment

Moving/shifting equipment may include but not limited to:

 Hand trolleys

 Wheelbarrows

 Motorized/hand pallet trucks (not sit on )

 Hand carts

 Dedicated production or process lifting equipment

 Baskets

 Spreader bars

 Cradles or the like attached to lifting equipment

 Rope

Placing Material on Moving Equipment

33
Materials should be placed on moving equipment safely and securely. However, in an effort to
minimize strains the following guidelines should be followed:

 Minimizing weights to be lifted or lowered by workers

 Review tasks that involve bending, twisting or reaching to determine whether they can be
modified so that workers can perform them in a upright position

 Tasks that involve pushing, pulling or carrying can be reduced by simply placing the
materials closer to the worker.

Relocating Material
When relocating materials, the following guidelines could be applied:

 Work with a buddy. Do not work alone

 Always wear appropriate protective clothing and use proper safety equipment.

 Read the information in this manual before you begin to pack and move.

 If you are unsure about anything, ASK!

It is a priority to ensure the safety of personnel and the materials when relocating the
materials.

Unloading Material
When unloading materials from moving equipment, special effort should be made to ensure that
it is done safely and securely and the materials should be placed in a safe place.

UNIT 4: CARRY OUT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

OF PLUMBING SYSTEMS TO SUSTAIN
EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE
Terms and definitions
Maintenance making schedule c checks of components equipment etc.in order

to keep in Proper working condition

Repairs To correct faults and defects

Malfunctions failure to operate in normal manner

Pitted Damaged surfaces cause by heat or. Corrosive agent

Pliability the ability to bend

Caustic chemical; chemical either in liquid or powder form used to dissolve

Soap Grease and other accumulations in drain pipe

Auger; rotary tool used by plumbers to clean drains

Snake; steel band or spring coiled used to clear plumbing drains

34
Major areas of the plumbing system for repairs maintenance

1. Areas related to the water supply;

 Faucets and valves
 Water closet
 Water supply
2. Areas related to drainage system
 Water closets
 Lavatories, tubs, showers or sinks

3. Areas related to hot water systems

 Water being heated
 Water too hot
 Leaks in the tank
 Noise in the tank
 Too little hot water

Equipment used to clear blockage in plumbing fixtures

 Plunger
 Closet auger
 Trap and drain auger
 Water ram
 Plumber*s snake
 Caustic chemicals

Problems with faucets and valves

Faucets and valves repair are simple once their design is understood there are two basic types
compression and washer less .The compression uses a washer that is compress against a metal
surface or seat to shot off the flow of water

Washer less faucet makes use of rotating mechanical components to control water flow

There are four basic washers less mechanism

 Cartridge
 Disc
 Ball
 Eccentric

Washer less faucet are less trouble prone and are easier to repair..

Leaking compression faucets

When a compression faucet does not completely stop water flow, there are three possible causes

 A defective handle or stem prevents the washer from pressing tightly against the seat
 The washer has deteriorated
 The is worn or pitted

Water drips from spout

The possibility of a defective handle or stem is the easiest to check

Inspect the splines on the inside of the handle and on the end of the stem lf one or both are
badly worn, they will need to be replaced
35
 Faucet or globe valve vibrates and is noisy when water is running

There are four possible causes

 Washer is loose
 Pocking or o- ring has deteriorated
 Stem is worn
 Faucet or valve base is worn

To isolate the problem turn off the water supply and remove handle and stem inspect the washer,
replaced washer if shows signs of deterioration or wear

inspect O-rings if damaged or worn

Handle rotates without changing water flow

 Defective splines on the handle

 Defective spline on the stem

Either one prevents the handle from turning the stem

Water leaks around stem

This happens when the faucet or valve is open and is caused by either

 A worn stem.
 Deteriorated packing or o ring.

Check if stem is worn or damaged and replaced it

Slow water flow from spout cause from the following

 The shot off valve in the water supply piping below the fixture is partially closed.
 Aerator screen at the end of the faucet is clogged
 Pressure in the branch line is reduced
 The building water supply line bas a leak

Mixing faucet leaks around spout

If water leaks around the joint between the spout and the faucet the problem is one of the
following;

 O-ring washers are deteriorated

 Spout is worn
 Swing spout post is worn

To check these conditions turn off the water supply

Inspect O-ring washers for defects and replaced

Three handles shower faucet

36
Single hangle shower faucet

37
Problems with water closets

38
Water flows continuously

When this condition occurs one of the following problem exists;

 Float valve (ball cock ) is faulty

 Float ball is improperly adjusted
 Overflow tube has detracted
 Flush valve does not aligned properly with its base or seat
 Flush valve is worn or damaged

To determine which part of the mechanism is at fault, you must make series of checks to
includes;

 Ball cock (float valve)

 Float ball adjustment
 Faulty float ball
 Overflow tube
 Flush valve alignment
 Pressure flush valve

Water closet will not flush

39
  Check for broken or disconnected flush lever
 Check for lock of water in flush tank

Water closet tank leaks

 Condensation on the outside of the tank

 Loose inlet water supply piping
 Cracked or broken tank
 Loose or deteriorated washer at the joint between tank and bowl

Water closet will not drain

A stoppage in either stock or the building drain will cause more one fixture to back up

If this problem does not exist then the problem is located in the fixture trap or in the branch
piping connecting the fixture to the to the stock,

The simplest way to clear a block WC is the use of Force Cup. This tool forces water under
pressure

The Water Ram is a more recent development; it uses air to apply even more pressure to force
the obstruction through the pipe, if this also fails use a Closet Auger

40
41
42
 Problems with water heaters

 No hot water
43
First check the circuit breakers in the main electrical panel if it trooped to the off position if so
the heating element has shorten

 Insufficient amount of hot water

The most obvious cause for shortages of hot water is a heater that is too small. The only cure is
to install a larger tank,

If the water is constantly lukewarm regardless of the amount of water use

Check the thermostat, sometimes the setting is move

 Water too hot

The most lightly reason is a thermostat set too high adjust and check offer one or two hours

If the problem continues the thermostat may not be functioning properly

To repair or replace a thermostat:

a. Turn off the energy supply

b. Turn off the water supply
c. Drain the tank
d. Move the defective parts

Once installed fill tank with water before turning on other

 Leaking tank

If the tank begin to leak, it will be necessary to replace the heater .the water supply and energy
source must be turn off drain the tank completely

Disconnect the electrical supply and remove the tank

 Noise in tank

A rumbling sound in tank as water is heating is cause by sediments in the tank

Draining of several gallons of water should eliminate the problem.

UNIT 5: PLAN AND ORGANISE WORK

In any career, or personal pursuit, planning and managing a workload is an essential skill. In
public relations, you will often need to work on several varied projects, with multiple
stakeholders, at the same time. Efficient planning and organization is one of the most valuable
skills that you have. This is particularly important in the PR industry because managers will be
under pressure to keep costs under control and to increase staff workloads in response to the
needs of internal and external clients.

Planning your Workload

When working in a PR environment your workload is likely to be varied, with many different
competing demands on your time, and important deadlines to meet. Your workload may consist
of the following.

• Projects you are personally responsible for: you will be involved in the major decisions; you
will need to identify the tasks that need to be completed, set mini-deadlines and coordinate the
efforts of anyone else involved in the project. You will also need to keep clients and colleagues
updated and informed of any developments.

44
• Supporting colleagues on projects they are personally responsible for: this may involve
providing help or expertise for colleagues, and projects can range from pitches for new business
to delivering a long-term PR campaign.

• Smaller administrative and non-project tasks: these tasks may not be directly tied to a specific
project, but dealing with them may be a significant part of managing your workload.

They include tasks such as maintaining an orderly work environment, processing invoices,
replying to emails, etc. Your workload is likely to comprise a range of tasks with different levels
of responsibility and importance. The key to planning and managing your workload effectively is
being able to priorities tasks and manage your time effectively.

Why effective planning is important

The way that you plan and manage your workplace can have a wide effect on other people and
aspects of your life beyond work.

Effect on your professional life: Making better use of your time can increase your capacity and
productivity, which means that your agency becomes more effective. If you are able to take on
more work, then this may result in more interesting and demanding projects. Effective workload
management could improve your career prospects and help you achieve your maximum
potential.

Effect on your colleagues: Tasks are interrelated within projects, so your colleagues may not be
able to start or complete their tasks until you have completed yours. Your colleagues therefore
rely on you to complete tasks on time, or to give them sufficient warning if a deadline is at risk
of not being met. This will enable them to plan their own workload accordingly.

Effect on life outside of work: Work affects our lives outside work. Poor planning may mean that
you have to work beyond normal office hours to complete tasks, cutting into your personal time
if you are stressed at work, it is likely that you will feel some of that stress in your home life. If
you plan and manage your workload more effectively, you will feel more in control of your
work; this should help to reduce the stress.

Planning your time more effectively means that you are able to be more flexible. If your agency
wins a new contract and work needs to start immediately, it means you can help more easily.
Being more flexible also means that you can plan holidays and time out of the office without
disrupting the projects you are working on.

Setting priorities: When you have a range of competing demands on your time, you may find
that you try to complete more than one task at a time. However, this may result in all of the tasks
being done to a lower quality than you would have achieved otherwise. Alternatively, you may
feel paralyzed by indecision about what to do first. Setting priorities can help you complete your
work more effectively, as you clearly establish the order in which you should complete tasks and
you can channel your energies more effectively. You can prioritise work according to a number
of different measures.

Urgency and task importance: Important or high-priority tasks are the tasks that help us
achieve our long-term goals or that have other meaningful and significant long-term
consequences. A good way to priorities key tasks is to complete a ‘priority graph’ on a daily
basis, as shown in Figure 11.1.1.

• ‘A’ tasks should be tackled immediately.

• ‘B’ tasks should be planned and given action dates.

• ‘C’ tasks should be done as you can do them, fitted around ‘A’ and ‘B’ tasks.

• ‘Z’ tasks should be removed from your list of tasks.

45
It is usually a major challenge to find these, let alone remove them. You should therefore
consider carefully whether or not they are actually ‘C’ tasks.

Seniority of task giver: In a project-based work environment, you may find yourself working
for a number of different people rather than just your line manager. This is because projects need
a project owner to manage the team and ensure that tasks are allocated and completed on time
and to the required quality standards. This way of working can be very beneficial for your career,
as it means you can gain from the experiences of a wide range of colleagues. It also means that
your colleagues will be aware of your work, and if you develop a good reputation you may find
that you are offered more responsibilities and opportunities. Managing your workload effectively
can help you to work towards your own goals and ambitions. When considering your career,
remember that the seniority of the task giver has an impact on your prioritization. However,
regardless of how senior the task giver is, you should take time to consider whether the task is
genuinely urgent before putting it at the top of your to-do list.

Consequences of failure

• When considering whether a task is urgent or important (see Figure 11.1.1), you should also
think about the consequences of the task not being completed, or of it being completed
inadequately.

• Poorly executed tasks – particularly those for an external audience, or for an external client –
can have significant impacts. They may undermine the overall message of a campaign or damage
a valuable relationship with a key customer.

Working with others

Attending meetings: You will find that as you become involved with more projects, you will be
invited to more meetings. Sometimes meetings are highly beneficial and help to coordinate clear
and relevant actions that you can apply. However, you may find that some meetings are not the
most productive use of your time. Always check the agenda for a meeting beforehand and
consider how the points to be discussed relate to you.

For example, for each point on the agenda, are you:

• responsible? In this case the tasks you complete are directly related to the discussion point and
your input is likely to be essential. Stakeholders may be attending the meeting and will want to
know about progress.

• accountable? Are you a task owner for any of the points covered on the agenda? If so, your
attendance is again probably essential as you will need either to lead the discussion or to provide
guidance on any queries that arise. You will need to make sure that any deadlines are being
worked towards.

• consulted? Is your input essential for this item on the agenda to be addressed effectively?

46
• informed? In this case you do not need to contribute, and the agenda item probably does not
affect you directly. It should be enough to read the meeting’s minutes for this agenda point.

You should also think about the number of people attending the meeting. Is anyone else on the
invite list able to delegate for you and attend on your behalf?

Holding meetings: Meetings are useful for getting input from others as a project requires. This
may involve discussing available options, agreeing deadlines, assigning tasks or monitoring
progress. If you want to know if a meeting is required or not, then ask yourself the following
questions.

1 Does this meeting have a clear purpose? Do I know why we are all here?

2 Is this meeting helping to coordinate us? Are the right people here to ensure the purpose can be
achieved?

3 Do actions arising from this meeting actually happen? Is anyone following up on these, and
does everyone know what they are meant to be doing?

It is important to ensure that meetings are as focused and appropriate as possible, as these lead
to:

• efficiency

• better decision making and problem solving

• creating new ideas • reviewing work and setting goals

• offering support and increasing team working.

Checklist: These tips will help you to plan your meetings more effectively.

 Establish exactly who needs to be there – and for which items.

 Check everyone’s time constraints in advance of the meeting and then again at the start.
 Have a realistic agenda, bearing in mind the attendees and the time.
 Allocate time slots for agenda items with agreement with the meeting chairperson.
 Appoint yourself as a ‘timekeeper’ and summarizer.
 Keep to the agenda.
 Ensure that everyone agrees their action points and ‘do by’ dates at the end of the
meeting.

To plan your workload effectively through the busy and quiet periods, you need to identify
each task you need to complete, make a realistic estimate of how much time each will take
and take a long-term view of the deadlines involved (i.e. not just the most urgent).

Use the following structure to make this plan.

1. Make a master list

 List all of your outstanding tasks.

 Rate them in terms of urgency and importance (using the priority graph from Figure
11.1.1).
 List them in order of priority

2. Plan your daily list

 Each morning, give yourself five minutes to plan your daily list.
 List the key tasks first.
 Estimate how long they will take.
 Decide how many you will achieve today.
 Decide roughly when you will do them.
47
  Be realistic; do not completely fill your day. Allow for last-minute tasks.

3. Plan your weekly list

 Think about the things you cannot fit in today. When can you do them?
 Do not leave them at the bottom of the list, or you may never do them.
 Prioritize them and plan them in over the next few days.
 Anticipate busy or quiet periods and adjust your plans accordingly.
 Be prepared to reschedule as you go along.

4. Use a diary

 You need a time frame to work in – a week-to-view diary is ideal.

 Alternatively, you can make your own five-day planner.
 Another option is to use an electronic planner which allows you to enter meetings, etc. in
the diary but also gives you a daily ‘to do’ list.

5. Create a routine

 Identify a ‘quiet’ time in your day or week, and discipline yourself to use this to do tasks
that are low priority, but important.

 If you put aside just 15 minutes each day, you will be amazed how much you can achieve
in a week.

Implementing plans: It is important to remember that you do not work in isolation and that you
are responsible for your own work. Remember to keep your colleagues updated about your
progress. If you look at your work plan and identify a problem (for example, you might not have
enough time to complete a task), discuss the problem with the task owner. It may be that the
deadline can be moved, or something that you thought was high priority is actually a lower
priority, or someone else on the team can complete the task. In the often frantic world of PR,
lower-priority tasks are sometimes at risk of being continually placed at the bottom of to-do lists,
and eventually being forgotten. However, if you say that you are going to do something, it is
important to follow through with completing the task – or, if the situation has changed, at least
confirm that the task is no longer required. This is because trust is important within PR, in terms
of both maintaining good relationships with clients and proving your independence to your
colleagues. When updating to-do lists (for example, if you write a fresh to-do list each day or
week), make your first task to transfer unfinished tasks from your previous list to your new list.

Management functions

Planning

In this function it establishes goals and objectives to pursue during a future period. The planning
function spans all levels of management. Top managers are involved in strategic planning that
sets board, long-range goals for an organization. These goals become the basis for short-range,
annual operational planning; during which top and middle managers determine specific
departmental objectives that will help the organization makes progress toward the broader, long-
range goals.

Organizing

In this function it typically follows planning and reflects how the organization tries to
accomplish its goals and objectives. In relation to the structure of a company, organizing
involves the assignment of tasks, the grouping of tasks into departments and the allocation of
resources to departments. Organizing also involves establishing the flow of authority and
communication between position and levels within the organization. Top manager performs
these activities. Likewise middle manager and supervisors organize the tasks to create positions
within their departments. Job analysis and job design activities are organizing function.

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Coordinating

In this function coordinating refers to management activities related to achieving an efficient use
of resources to attain the organization's goals and objectives.

Staffing

In this function staffing refers to the fundamental cycle of human resources activities,
determining human resource needs, and recruiting, selecting, hiring, training, and developing
staff members.

Directing

In this function directing is also referred to as leading, it involves influencing division,

departments, and individual staff members to accomplish the organization's goals and objectives.

Controlling

In this function manager performing the controlling management function translate

organizational goals and objectives into performance standards for divisions, department and
individual position. Controlling also involves assessing actual performance against standards to
determine whether the organization is on target to reach its goals and taking corrective actions as
necessary. Managers practicing the evaluative component of controlling assess how well the
organization has achieved its objectives.

Project Planning Basics

A “Project” is a set of activities which ends with specific accomplishment and which has (1)
Non-routine tasks,

(2) Distinct start/finish dates, and

(3) Resource constraints (time/money/people/equipment).

“Tasks” are activities which must be completed to achieve project goal. Break the project into
tasks and subtasks. Tasks have start and end points, are short relative to the project and are
significant (not “going to library”, but rather, “search literature”). Use verb-noun form for
naming tasks, e.g. "create drawings" or "build prototype". Use action verbs such as "create",
"define" and "gather" rather than "will be made".

Each task has a duration. Very difficult to estimate duration accurately. Doubling your best guess
usually works well.

“Milestones” are important checkpoints or interim goals for a project. Can be used to catch
scheduling problems early.

Name by noun-verb form, e.g. "report due", "parts ordered", "prototype complete".

Your plan will evolve so be flexible and update on a regular basis. It also helps to identify risk
areas for project, for example things you don't know how to do but will have to learn. These are
risky because you may not have a good sense for how long the task will take. Or, you may not
know how long it will take to receive components you purchased for a project.

Gantt chart Basics

Gantt charts are a project planning tool that can be used to represent the timing of tasks required
to complete a project. Because Gantt charts are simple to understand and easy to construct, they
are used by most project managers for all but the most complex projects.

49
In a Gantt chart, each task takes up on row. Dates run along the top in increments of days, weeks
or months, depending on the total length of the project. The expected time for each task is
represented by a horizontal bar whose left end marks the expected beginning of the task and
whose right end marks the expected completion date. Tasks may run sequentially, in parallel or
overlapping.

As the project progresses, the chart is updated by filling in the bars to a length proportional to the
fraction of work that has been accomplished on the task. This way, one can get a quick reading
of project progress by drawing a vertical line through the chart at the current date. Completed
tasks lie to the left of the line and are completely filled in. Current tasks cross the line and are
behind schedule if their filled-in section is to the left of the line and ahead of schedule if the
filled-in section stops to the right of the line. Future tasks lie completely to the right of the line.

In constructing a Gantt chart, keep the tasks to a manageable number (no more than 15 or 20) so
that the chart fits on a single page. More complex projects may require subordinate charts which
detail the timing of all the subtasks which make up one of the main tasks. For team projects, it
often helps to have an additional column containing numbers or initials which identify who on
the team is responsible for the task.

Often the project has important events which you would like to appear on the project timeline,
but which are not tasks. For example, you may wish to highlight when a prototype is complete or
the date of a design review. You enter these on a Gantt chart as “milestone” events and mark
them with a special symbol, often an upside-down triangle.

UNIT 6: MAINTAIN THE EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF

STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
What is operation and maintenance?
The purpose of a water distribution system is to provide an adequate and reliable supply
of safe water to its users. Operation and maintenance are those activities needed to
continuously fulfil this purpose. The difference between operation and maintenance is
that operation involves activities necessary to deliver the service, while maintenance
involves activities that keep the system in good operating condition. Operation includes
monitoring the system state, running the system and enforcing policies and procedures.
Maintenance entails condition assessment, servicing, repair and replacement of system
components. When maintenance is done before a system element fails in order to prevent
it from failing, this is called proactive maintenance. Maintenance done after a component
failure is called reactive maintenance. Operation and maintenance of a water distribution
system can be greatly affected by the system design and construction practices used. For
instance, a design that specifies unsuitable pipe materials or pipes that are damaged
50
during construction may lead to major future operation and maintenance problems for the
system. Cost is a major factor in the provision of municipal services and thus it is
important that operation and maintenance is done in such a way that the required level of
service is provided at the minimum cost over the long term. It is often possible to save
major costs in the future by using higher quality components or performing preventative
maintenance, even though it will be cheaper not to do this in the short term. For instance,
installing a cathodic protection The difference between operation and maintenance is that
operation involves activities necessary to deliver the service, while maintenance involve
activities that keep the system in good operating condition. The purpose of a water
distribution system is to provide an adequate and reliable supply of safe water to its users.
Operation and maintenance are those activities needed to continuously fulfil this

. In this section, the operation and maintenance requirements of specific network

components are discussed. A water distribution system consists of a complex
combination of components, including pipes, fittings, pumps, reservoirs, valves, hydrants,
meters and backflow preventers that are all critical in maintaining physical integrity. At
the same time, the distribution system is constantly changing through aging, replacement
of components and the addition of new extensions.

Materials selection

Material selection is a key part of design.

The following factors should be considered when selecting the material used for
distribution system components:

• The potential water quality and health effects of materials in contact with drinking
water

• Hazards and safety in working with the materials

• Structural capabilities

• Cost and availability

• Durability and expected service life.

• Compatibility with other materials in the system, the distribution water and the
surrounding soils

• Environmental impact

• Wall roughness of pipe materials

• Ease of use in construction

Common materials used in distribution systems, the basic properties of common

materials used in water distribution systems are: Asbestos cement, Asbestos cement
(AC) or fibre cement is manufactured from cement with 15 – 20% asbestos fibres added
to give it tensile strength. It was a popular pipe material from the 1970s to the 90s.
Asbestos cement had significant cost and handling advantages over iron before the arrival
of plastics. It is resistant to corrosion, except for water with a low PH. Asbestos cement
material is brittle, tending to crack under external loads and is difficult to repair. Asbestos
is also associated with health risks when inhaled, and thus should be handled and cut with
utmost care. However, it is considered as safe material for water supply and thus it is not
necessary to replace existing AC pipes in a system due to health concerns. Bitumen is a
black solid form of petroleum (i.e. a hydrocarbon substance) that is sticky and highly
viscous when melted. It has been popular as a pipe coating and liner to protect the pipe
material from corrosion. Cement and concrete is a composite material consisting of

51
aggregate or sand bound together by cement. It is a versatile material used for
foundations, pump stations and other buildings, valve chambers, anchoring and pipe
linings. Sometimes pipes are encased in concrete to protect them from external loads.
Concrete is also used as a pipe material when reinforced with steel wire. Proper mix
design, placement and curing of the concrete by an experienced contractor are essential to
ensure it performs as intended. The mix design depends on the type of structure being
built, how the concrete will be mixed and delivered and placed. Less water in the mix
yields a stronger, more durable concrete, but less water means a stiffer mix, which is
more difficult to work with, Concrete is mostly resistant to normal internal corrosion of
water pipes, making it suitable as a lining material. However it cannot handle tensile
forces and tends to form cracks and scaling due to temperature fluctuations. Since
concrete is an alkaline material, it can be attached by acidic chemicals. Thus the pH of
water should be high enough to prevent corrosion of pipe linings and concrete reservoirs.
Carbon dioxide gas is a major factor contributing to the deterioration of concrete, The
vast majority of a water distribution system consists of pipes and couplings to link them
to each other in different configurations. Bulk water suppliers and municipalities invest
considerably more in the pipe network than in all other water assets combined, and thus it
is important that pipes are operated within their limits and maintained to ensure that their
service lives are maximized. Various different pipe, lining and jointing materials have
been used over the last century, and since pipes sometimes stay in service for fifty to a
hundred years, it is likely that different pipe materials will be present in a given
distribution system. The most common types of joints and pipe materials used in water
distribution systems. This is followed by a discussion of the ways pipes deteriorate and/or
fail. Joint types various types of joints are available to connect pipes to each other. The
type of joint used is mostly determined by the pipe material used, but also by other
requirements such as the ability to handle tension forces, toleration of small deflections
and ease of use in the field..

Pipe materials commonly used pipe materials in water distribution systems are briefly
discussed in this section from the earliest to the most modern pipe materials:

• Cast iron is one of the earliest pipe materials and is still found in older distribution
systems. Earliest versions were cast in pits, while later pipes were centrifugally cast. Cast
iron has much better corrosion resistance that ductile iron and steel, and was often used
without any coating or lining. Spigot and socket joints were mostly used, although
flanged joints are also found. Early cast iron pipe joints were sealed with lead, which was
later replaced with leadite and then with rubber. When unlined cast iron pipes react with
water, tubercles may form that can severely restrict flow through the pipe. Disadvantages
include that pipe sections are heavy and difficult to handle, that wrapping and corrosion
protection is required (especially in corrosive soils) and that stray currents may accelerate
corrosion.

• Ductile iron pipes replaced cast iron around the middle of the 20th century and are often
lined with cement mortar or bitumen. Bitumen and bitumen tape are commonly used as
coating. Spigot and socket joints with rubber seals are generally used. Ductile iron pipes
have relatively good corrosion resistance and can handle water hammer pressures and soil
loads due to its high strength. Disadvantages are the same as for cast iron pipes.

• Steel pipes also came into use from about the middle of the 20th century and are still
used today for large diameter pipes and high pressure applications due to its high
strength. Steel pipes are susceptible to corrosion and thus need to be protected from the
environment both on the inside and outside of the pipe. Cement mortar, bitumen, epoxy
and hot-dipped galvanizing are used for linings. Coatings may use the same materials, as
well as wrapping applied on site to seal the outside of the pipe. Bell and spigot joints with
rubber seals, mechanical couplings and flanged couplings are commonly used. Welding
can be used to join pipes of 600 mm diameter and larger. Steel pipes are not brittle and
52
thus can deflect without breaking. They are lighter than ductile iron pipes, are resistant to
shock loads (such as water hammer) and can be welded to form any diameter of pipe.
Steel pipes are easy to modify and leaks can be repaired by welding them closed or
welding a section of steel over the leak. Disadvantages include poor corrosion resistance,
requiring the use of linings, coatings and cathodic protection. Stray currents may
accelerate corrosion. Welding done in the field requires special equipment and training.
Thin walled large diameter pipes rely on soil support to handle external loads. In small
diameters, steel pipes become expensive and cannot compete with other materials.

• Asbestos cement (AC) pipes became popular in smaller diameters from the 1960s and
were used until the 1990s. Fears about the potential health risks of asbestos and the
introduction of plastic pipes resulted in asbestos cement not being used for new pipes
anymore. However, most municipalities have significant quantities of AC pipes in use
and studies have not linked water supplied through AC pipes with increased health risks.
AC pipe is normally bitumen lined. Since it is a brittle material, good bedding and
continuous support is essential. Insufficient support, point loads or soil movements can
lead to the pipe cracking. Joints are typically push-on with rubber gaskets using a short
coupling piece. Some connectors, such as twin-gasket couplings, are made out of AC,
while others are made out of cast iron. AC pipes are lightweight and low cost compared
to metal, but are susceptible to corrosion by soft waters, acids and sulphates. Mechanical
joints may not work on AC pipes unless the ends are reamed to provide a smooth surface.
Special care should be taken when handling or cutting AC pipes to ensure that dust from
AC pipes is not inhaled.

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is presently the most commonly used pipe in municipal water
supply systems. Variations of PVC pipe include the commonly used unplasticised PVC,
but oriented PVC and modified PVC (PVC) are also available. In PVC pipes, molecules
are oriented to provide greater strength in certain directions, while PVC is able to better
handle impacts without brittle fracture. PVC pipes are lightweight and easy to handle,
easy to joint and resistant to corrosion. Joints consist of a spigot and socket with a rubber
ring seal. The seal is tightened by water pressure, and thus may be more likely to leak at
low than at high pressures. PVC pipes and fittings should not be exposed to direct
sunlight for long periods as this discolors the material and makes it brittle, and thus
unsuitable for use in water distribution. PVC pipes should be stored in covered racks with
all pipes laid flat and parallel. Socketed pipes should be stacked with socket and spigot
ends alternating to eliminate sagging or distortion of the pipe. PVC pipes require good
backfill support, have limited resistance to cyclic loading and susceptible to impact loads,
point loads and permeation.

• High density polyethylene (HDPE) is another material that is commonly used today in
water distribution systems. Unlike PVC, it is flexible, which means that it can be
transported in rolls and used in trenchless installations, Pipes it is pulled through an
existing pipe to replace it. It is lightweight, resistant to cracking and has many of the
benefits of PVC piping. However, it is not damaged by direct sunlight and can be used in
above-ground applications. Since it is supplied in long lengths, fewer joints are required.
Thermal butt-fusion or electrofusion joints are generally used, but these joints are
susceptible to failure if not done perfectly - something that is difficult to achieve in the
field. The flexibility of HDPE makes it popular for trenchless technology installations.

• Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) is a composite material that uses glass fibres embedded
in a thermosetting resin, often in combination with other materials to give it the desired
properties. It is light weight and highly resistant to corrosion. Disadvantages include
susceptibility to impact damage, importance of properly prepared bedding and blanket to
provide support, susceptibility to permeation and the difficulty of doing repairs in the
field.

53
Water distribution systems require a large range of fittings and accessories to link pipes
into a network and facilitate operation and maintenance. This chapter discusses the
different types of fittings and other components used in distribution systems and how
they should be operated and maintained. The focus is on individual components since the
operation and maintenance of the network

Maintenance Reservoirs and water towers need regular inspection and maintenance to
keep them in good operating condition and prevent more serious problems from
developing. Major maintenance on reservoirs and their pipework should be done during
winter months when reservoirs have surplus capacity. Appendix B provides a checklist
with required inspection and maintenance activities and their recommended frequencies.
In all cases corrective action should be taken immediately when problems are discovered.
The weekly inspection and maintenance routine should include the following:

• Security fence, gate and lock and lighting.

• Water meters for proper operation and leakage.

• Pump station for proper operation of pumps and other equipment (e.g. control valves or
booster chlorinators),

• Pipework and reservoir for signs of leakage or reservoir overflow.

• Check that water level indicators function correctly.

• Cut grass and edges, and clean paths, channels and maintain gardens.

• Take a water sample at the reservoir outlet and send for analysis. The monthly
inspection and maintenance routine should include the following:

• Open and inspect valve and meter chambers and other on-site installations for proper
operation. Clean strainers and chambers. Check chamber lids and locks, and oil hinges.

• Check valves for corrosion or other damage, and that they are operating smoothly.

• Check lids/doors and locks on pump station, reservoir and other facilities and oil hinges.

• Check that signs are in place and legible. RESERVOIRS AND WATER TOWERS

• Take all water meter readings and compare inlet and outlet meters to look for signs of
water losses. Note that differences in meter readings may be due to variations in reservoir
levels between the readings. Movable parts on valves should be greased every three
months. Finally, reservoirs and water towers should be drained, cleaned, inspected and
maintained every three to five years.

Pumps are used to add energy to water in order to move it to a higher elevation, boost
pressure or increase its flow rate. While different pump types exist, centrifugal pumps are
almost exclusively used in water distribution systems

Various different types of pumps are available, and they and can be grouped into two
categories: positive displacement and dynamic pumps. Positive displacement pumps
move discrete ‘packets’ of water and are often used as dosing pumps in water treatment
plants. Dynamic pumps produce a continuous stream of water through a rotating
mechanism pushing the water forward (similar to a boat propeller) or spinning it out
using centrifugal forces. The latter type is called centrifugal pumps. Centrifugal pumps
are the most commonly used pump type in water distribution systems. They use enclosed
spinning disks with curved vanes called impellers to generate centrifugal forces.
Characteristic curves of a centrifugal pump the hydraulic properties of a centrifugal pump
can be described with three curves, called the characteristic curves. These curves are
called the head-flow, efficiency and NPSH (net positive suction head) curves
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respectively, and all three are plotted against the pump flow rate. In many cases, the input
power curve is provided in addition to, or instead of the efficiency curve. However, since
it is possible to calculate the efficiency curve from the input power curve (and the other
way round), only one of the two is required. Head-flow curve the energy transferred to
the water by a centrifugal pump is used to increase both pressure and flow rate. However,
if more of the energy is used to provide flow, less is available for pressure and thus the
head flow curve displays a reduction in pressure as the flow rate increases

UNITS 7: Install valve regulators and

metering system

The six (6) major types of valves used in the plumbing system are:

 Gate valve.

 Butterfly valve.

 Ball valve.

 Globe valve.

 Pressure relief valve

 Check valve

Butterfly valve

Operation is similar to that of a ball valve, which allows for quick shut off. Butterfly
valves are

generally favored because they cost less than other valve designs, and are lighter weight
so they

need less support. The disc is positioned in the center of the pipe. A rod passes through
the disc

to an actuator on the outside of the valve. Rotating the actuator turns the disc either
parallel or

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perpendicular to the flow. Unlike a ball valve, the disc is always present within the flow,
so it

induces a pressure drop, even when open.

The check valve

Are used to prevent the flow of liquid from reversing when a drop in the pressure occurs

They are used in sanitary drain s as well as portable water supply systems

Types of check valves include;

 Lift check or horizontal check valve use for water, steam, gas and air

 Swing check valve has low resistance to flow making it suitable to low pressure or

drainage

The main principle of operation for check valve is to prevent the back flow of water, gas,
oil, or

steam in the plumbing system.

Angle Valve

An angle valve has an inlet and an outlet port which are perpendicular to each other. It is
sorted

as the manual valves and it is usually used to prevent or control the flow of a liquid in a
pipe and

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this is the reason for it is sometimes called simply as stop valve. Stop valves are valves
that

entirely stop the flow of the liquid inside the pipe. But angles are mostly used as
regulating

device in residential plumbing and industry.

Ball Valve

Ball valve will open and close with just one-quarter turn and provide very little resistance
to flow

Are widely used in the piping system to control air steam and water it has a partition that

separate the inlet from the out let

Advantages of this valve are that:

 Washers seat and packing may replace

 Valves may be used repeatedly without becoming wear

Disadvantages are;
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 Makes it impossible to drain the line completely

Gate valve
They are named for the gate like disc that slides across the part of the flow the provides
an

Unobstructed water way when fully open making it use full in large piping installations

It is best suit for large water supply lines and pumping lines

Should not be used to regulate flow, This valve should be either fully open or close.

Hose bib top

Are used on laundry trays and garden pipe, types includes spring load and screw types.

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 Pressure reducing valve
Are used to protect water supply system from aver 60 psi this valve is installed near the
entrance of the water supply to protect the entire system.

Pressure relief valve

They are safety devices on hot water and steam piping system, should the system
overheat the valve opens to permit water or stream to escape.

Float control valve

Maintain a constant level of water in tank or other containers

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 Pressure regulators
They are used to Reduce water pressures in the building they are installed when pressure on the
main is too high ,they are automatic that is once installed and set to the desired pressure they
continue to regulate the temperature without adjustment

UNITS 8: PERFORM INSPECTION (BASIC)

plumbing inspection.

Plumbing problems such as dripping faucets, leaky pipes, slow or clogged drains, sump
pumps, or low water pressure can lead to constant disturbance. Moreover, if you leave these
issues untreated, they can cause moisture or water damage, health problems, structural
weakness, or property devaluation.

Don’t fret! Elite Inspections thoroughly guides you through plumbing inspections with this
ultimate blog. By reading this blog, you will be able to understand plumbing inspections and
the reasons why you should never skip a home plumbing inspection. Moreover, we will also
tell you what’s the best time to get a plumbing home inspection. In the end, we will also
touch upon how to estimate plumbing inspection cost on your own.

So let’s get into it without further ado:

Understanding Plumbing Inspection

A plumbing inspection ensures the safety and functionality of a building’s plumbing system,
preventing emergencies and identifying potential issues. Here’s a breakdown of what a
plumbing inspection involves:

Why Do You Need a Plumbing Inspection?

An inspection of the plumbing system’s condition, the detection of any problems that may be
present or could arise, and any recommended repairs, replacements, or upkeep are the major
objectives of a plumbing inspection.

What Areas Are Covered in the Plumbing Inspection?

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Plumbing inspections cover various components of the plumbing system, including:

 Water supply lines and pipes

 Drainage and waste pipes
 Fixtures (sinks, toilets, bathtubs, showers, etc.)
 Water heaters and boilers
 Pumps (if applicable)
 Sewer lines (if applicable)
 Ventilation systems

What Does a Standard Plumbing Inspection Process Involve?

During a plumbing inspection, a qualified plumber or inspector will perform the following
steps:

Visual Inspection

The plumber or inspector examines plumbing fixtures, pipes, and connections for signs of
leaks, corrosion, blockages, and other visible issues.

Testing

The expert runs water through various fixtures to check for proper flow, drainage, and any
irregularities.

Water Pressure

He measures water pressure to ensure it’s within acceptable limits.

Water Heater Assessment

An evaluation of the water heater is done to check the proper functioning, temperature, and
safety measures.

Drainage Check

The plumbing inspector verifies that drains are functioning correctly and not backing up.

Ventilation Inspection

The inspector will assess ventilation systems to prevent sewer gas buildup and ensure proper
airflow.

Backflow Prevention

The experts will inspect backflow prevention devices to prevent contaminated water from
flowing back into the water supply.

Reporting and Recommendations

After the inspection, the plumber or inspector will provide a detailed report highlighting the
findings. This report may include identified issues and their severity, recommendations for
repairs, replacements, or maintenance, estimated costs for recommended work, and priority
levels for addressing different problems.

Read here for the ultimate guide to plumbing inspections.

When Should I Get a Plumbing Home Inspection?

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Getting a plumbing home inspection is essential for ensuring the proper functioning, safety,
and longevity of your plumbing system. Here are some key situations when you should
consider scheduling a plumbing home inspection:

Before Buying a Home

If you’re in the process of purchasing a new home, it’s highly recommended to get a
thorough plumbing inspection as part of the overall home inspection process. This can help
you identify any existing or potential plumbing issues before finalizing the purchase.
Plumbing problems can be costly to fix, so knowing about them in advance can allow you to
negotiate repairs or adjust your offer accordingly.

Before Selling a Home

If you’re planning to sell your home, having a plumbing inspection done beforehand can help
you identify and address any issues that might deter potential buyers or lead to negotiation
complications. Fixing plumbing problems before listing your property can make it more
attractive to buyers and potentially increase its value.

Regular Maintenance

Even if you’re not buying or selling a home, regular plumbing inspections are crucial for
ongoing maintenance. Annual inspections can catch small issues before they turn into major
problems, saving you money and preventing inconvenient plumbing emergencies.

After Renovations

If you’ve recently completed renovations or additions to your home, it’s a good idea to have
a plumbing inspection to ensure that the new plumbing components are installed correctly
and integrated seamlessly with the existing system.

Low Water Pressure or Slow Drains

If you’re experiencing consistently low water pressure, slow drains, or recurring clogs, these
could be signs of underlying plumbing problems. A plumbing inspection can help diagnose
the root causes and recommend appropriate solutions.

Unusual Odors or Water Quality Issues

Foul odors coming from drains or water, as well as issues with water quality such as
discoloration or a metallic taste, could indicate plumbing issues. An inspection can help
identify the source of the problem and suggest remedies.

Aging Plumbing System

If your home has an older plumbing system, it’s wise to schedule regular inspections to
ensure that components are still functioning well and aren’t on the brink of failure.

Home Improvements

When planning significant changes to your property, such as adding a new bathroom,
kitchen, or outdoor water feature, a plumbing inspection can help you understand the
potential impact on your existing plumbing system and ensure that the necessary adjustments
are made.

Estimating Plumbing Inspection Cost

The cost of a plumbing inspection can vary widely depending on several factors, including
the location, the complexity of the plumbing system, the size of the property, and the specific
scope of the inspection. Let’s see some details about these factors.

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Location

The cost of living and the prevailing rates for professional services in your area can impact
the cost of a plumbing inspection. Generally, inspections in urban areas or regions with
higher living costs may be more expensive.

Property Size and Complexity

Larger properties with more extensive plumbing systems will typically require more time and
effort to inspect thoroughly, which can contribute to a higher cost. Additionally, if your
plumbing system is complex, with multiple fixtures, pipes, and connections, it might require
more attention and time.

Scope of Inspection

The depth and comprehensiveness of the inspection can affect the cost. A basic inspection
might cover visible components and basic tests, while a more comprehensive inspection
could involve additional tests, such as water pressure measurement, drain flow tests, and
more detailed assessments of fixtures.

Additional Services

If the inspection reveals any issues that require additional testing, such as sewer line camera
inspections or water quality testing, these services might come with additional costs.

Accessibility

The ease of access to various parts of the plumbing system can also impact the cost. If certain
areas are difficult to reach or require special tools or equipment, this might add to the overall
expense.

Service Provider

Different plumbing companies or individual inspectors might have varying pricing structures.
It’s a good idea to obtain quotes from multiple reputable providers to compare costs and
services offered.

Emergency vs. Scheduled Inspection

If you require an urgent or emergency inspection, the cost might be higher due to the need
for immediate service.

Given these variables, it’s challenging to provide an exact cost estimate without knowing the
specifics of your situation. However, to give you a rough idea, a basic plumbing inspection
for a standard residential property might cost anywhere from $100 to $300 on average. More
comprehensive inspections, or those conducted on larger or more complex properties, can
cost upwards of $500 or more.

Reasons Why Home Plumbing Inspection is a Must

Prevention of Costly Repairs

Identifying and addressing plumbing issues early can prevent them from turning into
expensive repairs down the line.

Health and Safety

Leaky pipes or water damage can lead to mold growth, which can compromise indoor air
quality and pose health risks.

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Property Value

Regular plumbing maintenance can help maintain or even increase your property’s value,
especially if you’re planning to sell in the future.

Insurance Claims

Insurance providers may require proof of regular plumbing maintenance to cover water-
related damages.

Environmental Impact

A well-maintained plumbing system is more water-efficient, reducing your overall water

consumption and contributing to environmental conservation.

Conclusion

This ultimate blog is all about plumbing inspections. In this blog, we explained what a
plumbing inspection is and why you should never skip a plumbing inspection.

NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING

Non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection techniques are commonly used to detect and
evaluate flaws (irregularities or discontinuities) or leaks in engineering systems. Of the many
different NDT techniques used in industry, liquid penetrant and magnetic particle testing account
for about one-half of all NDT, ultrasonics and x-ray methods about another third, eddy current
testing about 10%, and all other methods for only about 2%. It should be noted that the
techniques reviewed in this book are by no means all of the NDT techniques utilized. However,
they do represent the most commonly employed methods. A simplified breakdown of the
complexity and relative requirements of the five most frequently used NDT techniques is shown
in Table 2, and the common NDT methods are com

VISUAL INSPECTION

Visual Inspection is perhaps the most important method of inspection of materials. Visual
inspection is defined as the examination using the naked eye, alone or in conjunction with
various magnifying devices, without changing, altering, or destroying the material involved. To
do a good job of visual inspection requires some knowledge of what you are looking at. It is
good to have as much knowledge as possible of the product being examined. You must not only
discover defects, but also be able to evaluate them from the point of usefulness or rejection.
Knowledge of the cause of defective materials helps in future prevention. You should know how
it may be abused. You should also be familiar with the types of defects that normally might be
encountered in such a part, e.g., scabs, seams, and laminations in steel mill products; and
corrosion, erosion, and physical abuse on parts that have been in service.

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 UNITS 9: TEST PIPING SYSTEMSAND
EQUIPMENT
These testing methods include:

Hydrostatic testing,
Pneumatic testing,
Ultrasonic testing,
Magnetic particle testing,
Radiographic testing,
Visual inspection,
Leak testing.

It also highlights how these methods contribute to safety, operational

standards, and quality assurance in piping systems.
Hydrostatic testing is critical to assessing a pipe’s structural integrity and identifying potential
leaks. During this testing, the pipe is filled with water and pressurized to a higher than the
expected operating pressure.
This process allows inspectors to detect weaknesses, leaks, or deformities in the pipe by
observing how it responds to the applied pressure. It also ensures the pipe can withstand pressure
and fluid flow without compromising its integrity.

Pneumatic Testing
Like hydrostatic testing, pneumatic testing evaluates the structural soundness of a pipe but uses air
instead of water. This method is beneficial for situations where using water is impractical, such as in
pipes designed for gas transportation.
It involves pressurizing the pipe with air to levels above its expected operating pressure. Inspectors
monitor the system for any pressure drops, which could indicate leaks or weaknesses. This method
ensures the pipe’s ability to contain and transport gases safely.
Read more about water pipes

Ultrasonic Testing
Ultrasonic testing is employed to identify flaws or inconsistencies within the material of the pipe.
This method is highly effective for assessing the internal condition of the pipe without causing
damage.
In ultrasonic testing, high-frequency sound waves are directed into the pipe material. These waves
travel through the material, and any changes or disruptions in the path of the waves are detected.
Variations in the sound waves can indicate structural issues, allowing inspectors to pinpoint potential
problem areas

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Magnetic particle testing is focused on detecting surface and near-surface flaws, especially in ferrous
materials. During magnetic particle testing, magnetic fields are applied to the surface of the pipe, and
iron particles are introduced.
This method is crucial for identifying defects that could compromise the pipe’s structural integrity.
Any irregularities or defects in the material cause the iron particles to gather at these points, making
the flaws visible and easily detectable.
Learn how to check your pipes:

Radiographic Testing
Radiographic testing reveals internal flaws or irregularities within the pipe, ensuring its structural
soundness.
This method utilizes X-rays or gamma rays to penetrate the pipe material. The resulting image,
similar to a medical X-ray, allows inspectors to visualize the internal condition of the pipe.
Furthermore, this is particularly useful for identifying issues such as cracks, voids, or other
internal defects.

Visual Inspection
Visual inspection involves a comprehensive examination of external and internal surfaces to
identify visible defects in the pipe.
Trained inspectors conduct a thorough visual examination to detect anomalies, such as corrosion,
dents, bends, or any irregularities that may compromise the pipe’s integrity. Visual inspection is
fundamental and often the first step in the assessment process, providing valuable insights into
the overall condition of the pipe.

Leak Testing
Leak testing is designed to identify and locate leaks in a pipe, ensuring the system remains fluid-
tight.
During this testing, the pipe is pressurized, and inspectors monitor pressure changes or employ
specialized equipment to detect any escaping fluids. This method is crucial for confirming the
tightness of joints, welds, and connections, preventing potential leaks that could lead to
operational or environmental hazards.

Key Takeaway
Understanding the different types of pipe testing methods is essential for ensuring pipelines’
integrity, safety, and reliability in various industries. Selecting the appropriate testing method
depends on factors such as the type of material, the pipe’s purpose, and the industry’s specific
requirements.
Whether in construction, manufacturing, or energy sectors, a well-informed approach to pipe
testing is integral to maintaining infrastructure reliability and safety.

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