"A plumber is an adventurer who traces leaky pipes to their source"
The plumber has been on an adventure for well over 3,700 years now. Evidence of plumbing's principles can be traced back to the Island of Crete and the Palace of Knossos. See for yourself in the following image.
Minoan kings had bathrooms flowing with fresh hot and cold water.
Plumbing in its earliest form, like at Knossos, allowed kings to live a luxurious life. In our modern times, plumbing is the arteries that make up our modern way of life. It delivers clean water to our homes and sends sewage and waste to treatment facilities. Beyond only sending water, a plumbing system conveys chemicals, fluids gases, and liquids into industrial settings.
According to IBISWorld (new window), the Plumbing industry was valued at $107 billion in 2018. In addition, the industry’s employees are growing at 4.!%. Since MCR Safety is in the business of protecting people, we cover everything you need to know about plumbing applications and hazards below.
The word plumber comes from the Latin word "plumbum", meaning "lead". The first effective pipes used in the Roman era were made from lead pipes.
Plumbers work in factories, homes, businesses, and other places where there are boilers, heaters, and piping systems. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) reports that plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters held about 480,600 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of these workers are as follows:
| Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors | 62% |
| Self-Employed Workers | 13% |
| Government | 4% |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
Who is a plumber? For married women, a plumber is a person who repairs what the husband has tried fixing. Simply put, when you cannot fix your drainage problem, you call the plumber. They install and repair water, drainage, gas, and other piping systems.
According to the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors National Association (new window), the transition from the outhouse to indoor plumbing spurred gasfitters and metalworkers to specialize in plumbing. Today's modern plumbing industry involves workers that maintain plumbing fixtures, fittings, and equipment.
The following workers make up this industry today:
Refinery Piping
Construction Plumbing
Septic Tanks
Pipe System
Pipelayer
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein once wrote the following:
"If I would be a young man again and had to decide how to make my living, I would not try to become a scientist or scholar or teacher. I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances."
Coming from Einstein, we might all want to consider the plumbing career path and trade. This tradesman performs a wide variety of activities during a workweek, most times working on their own and independent.
Plumbers can be found installing fixtures such as appliances, dishwashers, bathtubs, toilets, dishwashers, and water heaters. They also maintain septic systems that collect waste from houses and that are not connected to a sewer system.
A plumber's work ranges from feeding cable, lifting heavy materials and thawing pipes. Here are many of the activities you will find a plumber doing:
Tightening Bolts
Handling Pipes
In order for a plumber to complete the above activities, they need tools... A plumber's tool bag has an array of different equipment. From drain-cleaning tools, specialty wrenches, and tools for working with a pipe, here are some of these workers use.
"Safety is about doing the right thing, even if no one is looking."
Well, as Einstein said, plumbers are independent, so they must do the right thing because there is no one looking. Moreover, doing the right thing is necessary because they operate in a dangerous work environment... If you doubt this, just look at OSHA's website for plumbing accidents (new window) and review the numerous ways plumbers have been injured over the years.
With one of the highest rates of injuries across all occupations, plumbers must stay alert at all times. US industries average 3.2 recordable cases for every 100 employees. Plumbers, working under NAICS code 23822, experience 15% more recordable cases, with 3.8 per 100 workers.
| Building Equipment Contractors | Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors | 23822 | 3.8 |
When you are on the job plumbing, snaking a line, installing a water heater, or soldering a pipe, let MCR Safety keep you safe! We carry a wide range of gloves, glasses, and garments for hazards plumbers face on a daily basis.
Find the right MCR Safety product that protects you against these common hazards.
The drain snake is abrasive. Excellent abrasion resistance is required when handling a metal drain snake and feeding cable into a drain.
Plumbers know that burns easily occur around hot pipes. Soldering equipment and joining pipe can burns your hands too. Our MC504 are tested for Contact Heat at 392° Fahrenheit.
Plumbers work in tight spaces and crawl under structures. Being struck by falling pipe and parts is an absolute concern for plumbers, not to mention banging up one’s knuckles.
Pipefitters installing pipes need snug fitting gloves, which do not limit hand movement. Check out our 92718 cut resistant option.
Gripping wet surfaces, such as sweating pipe, requires gloves with excellent grip. It also helps having a cut-resistant liner, like with the 9828PU. Grippaz gloves are excellent for splash resistant activities and wet surfaces too.
Learn More About Grip Protection
Splashing raw sewage is hazardous if it gets in a plumber’s eyes, not to mention just plain disgusting. Flying objects and chemicals are always present when plumbing. You will need safety glasses when working under a sink, replacing and sawing a pipe.
Draining cleaning traps and installing new sewer lines involves raw sewage. A plumber’s gloves are the last defense to health and safety risks. Don’t mess around with improper PPE.
Have you ever seen standing water? Plumbers are in constant contact with it. Plumbers need liquid protection when clearing blocked drain lines with chemicals, power snakes, and plungers.
Plumbers needs clothing that is durable, comfortable and long lasting. We offer a wind range of flame-Resistant work shirts, Hi-Vis Gear, hoodies, and jeans.
There is no guarantee the weather is going to be bright and sunny. Don’t get caught in the rain!
Whenever cutting into metal, the plumber is exposed to sharp edges and corners that will cut into you.
Joining pipes requires welding safety gear.
Why MCR Safety Products? MCR Safety manufactures and supplies Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Simply put, WE PROTECT PEOPLE! We are known world-wide for our extensive product line depth surrounding gloves, glasses, and garments spanning across numerous industries. We offer the total package of safety gear encompassing industrial gloves, safety glasses, protective garments, welding gear, industrial boots, Flame Resistant (FR) gear, face shields, and much more. From a glove standpoint alone, MCR Safety manufacturers and supplies over 1,000 different style gloves. Here are some of the many reasons MCR Safety is your go to source for PPE:
MCR Safety is recognized as a global manufacturer stretching across six countries, with both distribution and manufacturing facilities. Our core competency and specialty is manufacturing and supplying protective gloves, glasses, and garments. The information shown and provided on MCR Safety’s website, its safety articles, industry resource pages, highlighted hazards and safety equipment should be used only as a general reference tool and guide. The end user is solely responsible for determining the suitability of any product selection for a particular application. MCR Safety makes no guarantee or warranty (expressed or implied) of our products’ performance or protection for particular applications.
