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Workplace health and safety considerations for plumbers

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IELTS General Test – Passage 08: Workplace health and safety considerations for plumbers in Calgary reading with answers explanation, location and pdf. This reading paragraph has been taken from our huge collection of Academic & General Training Reading practice test PDFs.

Workplace health and safety considerations for plumbers

Like many trades, plumbing can be a dangerous job. It is important to take all reasonably practicable measures to keep customers and yourself incident and injury free.

Biohazard waste

Plumbers regularly come into contact with biohazard waste. It’s the nature of the job, but that doesn’t mean you should be complacent about it. According to Safe Work Australia, communicable diseases from work-related exposures to biological hazards such as sewage have been estimated to cause 320,000 deaths across the globe each year. In addition to this, plumbers are regularly exposed to other biohazards such as mould, bacteria and algae. Don’t risk it – make sure appropriate clothing and equipment is used.

Confined spaces

Plumbers may spend much of their time working in confined spaces, where they are at risk from contaminants, including airborne gases, vapours and dusts, that may cause injury from fire or explosion. They may also be exposed to high concentration of airborne contaminants that may be harmful to health. For example, one plumber was fined $220,000 after an employee suffered from carbon-monoxide poisoning. Another potential hazard for plumbers in confined spaces is that of drowning, if water sources are not adequately cut off.

The Safe Work Australia confined spaces code of practice outlines the necessary steps and precautions for avoiding illness and injury.

Electricity

The Master Plumbers’ Association calls electricity ‘plumbing’s hidden killer’. Metal pipes are often conductive and so gloves which provide insulation should form part of a plumber’s tool kit, as should a plumbing voltage monitor and a volt tester. Gloves should be checked prior to every use and replaced every 12 to 14 months. Electrical equipment like bridging conductors should be regularly checked, with appropriate tags on the equipment to verify its safety. The project should be stopped immediately if there is any sign of electricity, so that the power can be disconnected by a qualified electrician prior to continuing work.

Questions 15-20

Complete the table below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet.

Type of dangerExamplesRisks involvedNecessary action
Biohazard15…………. , mould, bacteria, algaecan lead to disease and deathuse protective clothing and equipment
Confined spacesContaminants e.g. gases, vapours and dustsinjury from fire or explosionfollow Safe Work code of practice
high concentrations of harmful airborne contaminants e.g. carbon monoxide16…………..follow Safe Work code of practice
water17………….cut off water sources
Electricitymetal pipes which are conductivedeath from electrocution–  use insulated 18………….. and appropriate equipment–  ensure equipment has 19…………… on to show it is safe–  make sure electricity has been 20………….

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Answers with Explanation

Check out Workplace health and safety considerations for plumbers reading answers below with explanations and locations given in the text.

15   sewage

16   poisoning

17   drowning

18   gloves

19   tags

20   disconnected

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