# Asbestos+Idiot Customer=Frustration



## WrenchMonkey (Feb 24, 2010)

Had a call the other day customer owns a old commercial building, mainly warehouse and some office space. I show up and he's got about six small leaks all over the complex. Well the first thing I see when I walk into the space is a large group of sighns hanging on the lines Saying "DANGER ASBESTOS" well I have a quick peak at the leaks and their all coming from inside the pipe wrap and are inaccesible. I tell the customer that he'll need to call a abatement company to deal with the wrap and then I can come back to fix the leaks. Well the next hour was spent explaining to him why I won't touch it and the reason abatement is so expensive is because the crap is toxic and the reason they wear "spacesuits and tarp the building isn't because they want to rack up a huge bill it's because they don't want to die. Well long story short he hired a plumbing company that didn't care about the asbestos and they came and fixed the leaks without hiring someone to deal with the asbestos. It blows my mind that just because plumbing companies are desperate for business they'll put their employees at risk. I just hope that the members of Plumbing Zone care more about their friends and employees to expose them to that kind of danger. Just remember that money isn't worth endangering the people you care about.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Call the authorities. It is your duty to do so.


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## kentdmo (Dec 15, 2008)

I'd call the EPA, city inspector, and OSHA


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

I just ran into something similar yesterday, and I pretty much told him the same thing. People really don't care when it's not their lungs getting exposed. All that being said, I need a smoke.


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## njoy plumbing (May 19, 2009)

Yep turn them in. We have run into that as well. We did the demolition for a weigh scale bldg 6 years ago and I quoted for asbestos removal, and other company's didn't. I still got the job because of it.:yes:


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

As dangerous as they say Asbestos is today, 37-years ago or so I use to choke on it on a daily basis. Back in the day we used Asbestos tape and wheat paste to hold insulation on pipe. The tape came in 3" wide by 12" round rolls which were packaged like "Lifesavers" candy 3' long. When I would dumped them into our storage bin I would cough for an hour afterwards. Hopefully, I never see any ill affects from it.

Mark


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## express (Nov 22, 2008)

With the new guide lines on lead paint removal I think you will see a lot of people ignoring it.


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## Roy (Feb 7, 2010)

*"Asbestos safety awareness"*

I would drop some dimes and make the issue heard, Part of (IIPP)
injury illness preventation program by the contractor for his employees.
Responsibility, complience, communication, hazzardous assessment, hazzardous corrections, accidential investigation review, information and trainning, record keeping.



*Safety is eveyone's business*


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*Mexican abatement*

we did a home last winter with asbestos on all the old boiler lines,,,, had an abatement company come in and
quote 2000 for removal ..... 

they had a mexican handy man watching the whole estimation thing on Friday afternoon , and on Monday morning the job was cleaned up as pretty as punch..

I heard he got paid 300 bucks, 
and where it all went , I dont know..


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## mongo (Jun 26, 2010)

I do wish there were a 911 line for OSHA. I've seen lots of irresponsibile action taken by some to try to keep from spending $$. Life and health has no price tag. Safety is above all else.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Report them!!!!


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

mongo said:


> I do wish there were a 911 line for OSHA. I've seen lots of irresponsibile action taken by some to try to keep from spending $$. Life and health has no price tag. Safety is above all else.


Are you sure that life and health has no price tag...Is safety really above all else?

We take calculated risks everyday and money plays a big part in those decisions. I could give countless examples.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

mongo said:


> I do wish there were a 911 line for OSHA. I've seen lots of irresponsibile action taken by some to try to keep from spending $$. Life and health has no price tag. Safety is above all else.


1-800-321-OSHA (6742) :whistling2:

or, On-Line... http://www.osha.gov/pls/osha7/eComplaintForm.html


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## tnoisaw (Jun 16, 2009)

You did the right thing. I lost an uncle because of that.


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## wundumguy (Apr 3, 2010)

I've been exposed to asbestos a few times in my career. The first time was entirely accidental. I was with a really classy organization and if they had known, we would not have been exposed. The other times was with an organization that knew, but couldn't care less about us. My position now, is that it will never happen again. Workers in bad organizations can be in a tough situation between keeping their jobs and facing asbestos exposure. The best thing we can do is report violations, even when it's not in our organization, and on another worker's behalf.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I know this is an old thread but, how I handle Asbestos abatement with a reluctant customer is to explain their _liability_ if the Asbestos isn't removed properly. All it takes is one of their employees to take a picture with their cell phone camera of the danger Asbestos sign with people ripping it down. 

Once they understand that as long as that employee has that picture they can sue if the even get the sniffles or anything that may resemble a symptom of Asbestos exposure. That they will win their suit, and most likely bankrupt the company. Suddenly the cost of abatement doesn't seem so bad to most people.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Most people are exposed to asbestos every day, and don't know it, or need to....


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## dankman (Nov 19, 2009)

Airgap said:


> Most people are exposed to asbestos every day, and don't know it, or need to....



But not in the concentrations that people doing abatement are exposed to.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

An MD told me once that it only takes a tiny amount of asbestos to cause problems. He didn't define 'tiny.' The scary thing is that it won't cause lung cancer for decades. That is scary.


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## UALocal1Plumber (May 13, 2009)

Just remember that Pablo left a couple million .04 micron fibers in the air that won't settle for 80-90 hours. Your concentration of exposure on Monday was likely as significant as if you had done the retard abatement yourself.

Keith



Master Mark said:


> we did a home last winter with asbestos on all the old boiler lines,,,, had an abatement company come in and
> quote 2000 for removal .....
> 
> they had a mexican handy man watching the whole estimation thing on Friday afternoon , and on Monday morning the job was cleaned up as pretty as punch..
> ...


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> Just remember that Pablo left a couple million .04 micron fibers in the air that won't settle for 80-90 hours. Your concentration of exposure on Monday was likely as significant as if you had done the retard abatement yourself.
> 
> Keith


 
Possibly, 


but the rules on "repairs" are simple in a lot of ways. First, if you're just exposing the joints of pipe, leaving the remainder of asbestos in tact, you should have a water spray bottle that's keeping the airborn dust to a minimum. Pablo probably didn't think about that.

I've seen old water heaters wrapped in asbestos that I refused to touch. Nowadays, I rarely do old work, it's all new in the newer subdivisions. I think my costs/rates/advertising keeps many people from calling me in those older homes. Das gewwde. :laughing: Let's keep it that way. 


If it's minimal, people don't really care. I believe in the attitude of the OP in prevention, but a good $40 mask, fully clothed and spray bottle will minimize the air born/breathing exposure.

Unless it kills you on contact, people just don't get it.


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## UALocal1Plumber (May 13, 2009)

I just did my restricted handler recertification this month. It amazes me how people just don't take this seriously. The school I go to is great - they have a bunch of autopsy photos from cancer victims to drive the point home. Even then a lot of the guys laugh it off and claim that it can't hurt you.

But then again, with the way some of the guys in my union drink and smoke, you can tell they don't really care much about their long term health anyway.

Keith


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