# Contractor dead after accident with sewer equipment



## SewerRatz

This is why I will not tell a DIY to go rent a machine. Below is from the Chicago Sun Times Website.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1837401,contractor-dead-sewer-equipment-102109.article

October 21, 2009 

STNGWire

A Skokie man died Tuesday after an accident with sewer equipment in northwest suburban Park Ridge. 

Joseph Patyk, 32, of the 800 block of Lawndale Avenue in Skokie, was pronounced dead at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. 
A piece of Patyk’s clothing became twisted around his neck while working with a machine on the 750 block of North Merrill Street in Park Ridge, according to the medical examiner’s office. 
A Park Ridge police officer said the man was a contractor working with sewer equipment “some days ago” when the accident occurred. He apparently had been hospitalized ever since. It was not immediately known when the accident happened. 
An autopsy is scheduled for later Wednesday. Park Ridge police are investigating.


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## SlickRick

We know how vicious they can be. Most people just don't understand how much power the have. Bad accident...
I can almost picture it happening...Bent over, machine too far back, no self feeder , got cable in a bind and here comes " The Loop".


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## SewerRatz

Yep it is sad when things like this happen. One of the reasons OSHA wants two men for any power operated cable machine.


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## Plumber Jim

That's why I respect the machine. The moment to don't respect it you put yourself at risk.


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## Turd Burglar

Unfortunately this will be more common, because there are so many unskilled people and DIYers attempting to do their own drain work to save a few bucks. It slowed down a lot this year for me, the drain calls seem to be fewer and fewer. The rental places are busy though! Oh well, its a risk to operate heavy machinery! Thats why I have years of training and experience and lots of insurance. Those that take it lightly are playing with fire.


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## Bill

I always have another man with me when using a snake. You never know


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## RealLivePlumber

Think it was a drum machine?


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## stillaround

That freaking Marco machine was a monster with the counter wound cable. Hit a blockage and the cable wants to shoot out of the machine. Ive had sleeves get caught in the big Spartan. No fun. Id like two men just to wheel that thing around.


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## GREENPLUM

****ty way to go


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## SewerRatz

RealLivePlumber said:


> Think it was a drum machine?


 I had to use my K-1500 the other day, stairs where to tight for the spartan 1065. While rodding a loose thread on my long sleeve shirt got caught in the windings of the sectional cable and tangled up the shirt real fast. Once I let got of the clutch the cable stopped of course but I was already pretty tangled up. I couldn't get free till I ran the machine in reverse. With a sectional machine if his hood strings got caught in the cable and he fell on the clutch it would keep running, which is the only way I could see it happening with a sectional machine. Now a drum machine if he got tangled in the cable and fell forward, chances are he didn't get off the foot switch when it happened. 

Just have to ensure you have no loose clothing on around the machine and have a helper there just in case you get into trouble.


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## Airgap

Plumber Jim said:


> That's why I respect the machine. The moment to don't respect it you put yourself at risk.


It seems like every time I start to get too over confident on a big rodder, they try to bite back. Thankfully nothing serious, just reminders of how much power is there. It takes years to really get the feel of what's going on. People are watching too much DIY TV.


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## SlickRick

I had a helper on a roof with a mini rooter checking a kit line while I was pulling a toilet to remove some roots that had grown around the flange and stopping up the toilet. I was over the closet flange digging on the roots and here comes the cutter head like a Cobra up out of the closet bend. I started yelling but he could not here me. I was trying to keep the cable from distroying everything in the bathroom. The cable just kept coming and coming and coming. It had me by every limb on my body. I looked like Hodini in a straight jacket before he ran out of cable!


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## UnclogNH

Running The machines are dangerous. Bring it up and down stairs multiple times a day can be a killer on the body.
So many customers try to help bring the machine up or down the stairs. I just tell them please stay out of the way in a nice way. Had a lady the other day ticked me off I said leave the machine alone :furious: 
When snaking her kitchen sink line from an over head clean out the machine bogged down she grabbed it and spun it causing the cable to flip I was pissed. Oh did I do that I'm sorry :furious:. Thanks I'm adding the cost of a cable to the job. Had the cable for 4 years it was broken in perfect :furious:


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## Airgap

People can actually rent machines like this! The bad thing is I've asked the guys at the rental shop if they've used one before, and they say "Nah, we just show em' how to hook and unhook the rod and they're on they're own..."What's the big deal? We rent chainsaws too":no:


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## Redwood

But he saved a couple o hundred bux doing it himself....:whistling2:


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## Protech

Literally



GREENPLUM said:


> ****ty way to go


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## Titan Plumbing

This is why I NEVER, EVER run my machine while wearing my bath robe...........


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## Turd Burglar

Choctaw said:


> This is why I NEVER, EVER run my machine while wearing my bath robe...........


:laughing: Good one.

A few times I got cocky and tried to run the machines without proper protections...stupid. Now I use rubber gloves, then on top leather gloves, steel toed, ankle-supported boots. Always GFI protection, keep the hair cut short, no loose clothes, safety goggles, etc. Professional means SAFE!:thumbsup:


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## Titan Plumbing

slickrick said:


> I had a helper on a roof with a mini rooter checking a kit line while I was pulling a toilet to remove some roots that had grown around the flange and stopping up the toilet. I was over the closet flange digging on the roots and here comes the cutter head like a Cobra up out of the closet bend. I started yelling but he could not here me. I was trying to keep the cable from distroying everything in the bathroom. The cable just kept coming and coming and coming. It had me by every limb on my body. I looked like Hodini in a straight jacket before he ran out of cable!


But, ya got it, right?


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## SlickRick

Choctaw said:


> But, ya got it, right?


Yea I got it . And I won the fight with the snake. I had all 75' tied up, or it had me.. Not a scratch on the bathroom. But it put up a good fight, I'll give it that......I'm just sayin'


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## gear junkie

I carry various plumbing pics in my pricing book to show customers. I'll add this article next time they think they could do my job. Thanks Ron.


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## SewerRatz

gear junkie said:


> I carry various plumbing pics in my pricing book to show customers. I'll add this article next time they think they could do my job. Thanks Ron.


 This one is a little more clear http://www.wbbm780.com/Contractor-dead-after-sweatshirt-gets-caught-in-po/5491138


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## UnclogNH

Air foot switch may have saved a life that day :whistling2:


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## M5Plumb

Damn lucky fo sho !!!



slickrick said:


> I had a helper on a roof with a mini rooter checking a kit line while I was pulling a toilet to remove some roots that had grown around the flange and stopping up the toilet. I was over the closet flange digging on the roots and here comes the cutter head like a Cobra up out of the closet bend. I started yelling but he could not here me. I was trying to keep the cable from distroying everything in the bathroom. The cable just kept coming and coming and coming. It had me by every limb on my body. I looked like Hodini in a straight jacket before he ran out of cable!


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## UnclogNH

Wondering what machine the guy was running? I have a feeling it was a common Electric eel model R as seen below.

As you can see someone can get really close to the reel. You can see how easy loose clothing can get caught up. Never been a fan of this machine. Plus I bet if it did not have an air foot switch. If not the air foot switch would have saved a life that day. This unit is very common in the rental industry. None that I have seen ever had an air foot switch.
http://electriceel.com/modelrrental.htm


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## retired rooter

years ago I used to leave my business cards at rental shops when customers would bring them back torn up and cussing they would give them my card and I would drop back by with a 5 dollar bill to employee with their name on card this was over 20 yrs ago today it would probably have to be a 20


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER

Bump


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## TheMaster

Theres a guy here that runs a machine without an air switch and thats all the man does is clean drains. I personally told him he was "crazy" for working without a foot switch. Loose clothing and long hair are prohibited even with a foot switch. I feel sorry for this guy.....He was a man just like all of us prolly trying to provide for his family. RIP Sir.


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## bchplumbing

Bad, bad any way you look at it. I always want two people on roding jobs because of this problem. Gaylon the guy who taught me everything I know about sewer cleaning (30year vetran with roto rooter) got snagged with his general drum machine it loop up and sandhiched his hands and arms together pulling his shoulder out of place. I had to unplug the machine to get it to stop. Then threw it in reverse, plug it back in to get him free. called 911. He was lucky I was near by. He used an older machine no foot controller.


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## bchplumbing

Please add those pics I would like to carry them to show them to home owners as well.


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## Regulator

Turd Burglar said:


> :laughing: Good one.
> 
> A few times I got cocky and tried to run the machines without proper protections...stupid. Now I use rubber gloves, then on top leather gloves, steel toed, ankle-supported boots. Always GFI protection, keep the hair cut short, no loose clothes, safety goggles, etc. Professional means SAFE!:thumbsup:


Leather and/or rubber gloves can still get snagged on the cable, causing injury. 
Ridgid used to sell (maybe they still do) leather mits w/stainless steel armor (like wide staples) on the grasping side. Once I found out about the mits, I used to use these nitrile gloves underneath to handle the cable. Wayyyy safer. :yes:


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## Protech

That's what I use. The staples keep the glove from folding and getting caught in the coils. Thick nitrile disposables under the stapled mitts.



Regulator said:


> Leather and/or rubber gloves can still get snagged on the cable, causing injury.
> Ridgid used to sell (maybe they still do) leather mits w/stainless steel armor (like wide staples) on the grasping side. Once I found out about the mits, I used to use these nitrile gloves underneath to handle the cable. Wayyyy safer. :yes:


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## plumb4fun

I made the mistake of using the long cow milker gloves instead of the ugly gloves. The darned things gripped the cable too much and twisted around my fingers so tight that my fingers darned near got pinched off. On the small cables I like using leather gloves with disposable vinyl gloves underneath. Years ago when I was an apprentice I was threading 2" gas pipe with a journeyman without a pipestand for the long end. He told me "just hold it". well I did what he asked and almost instantly that Collins machine had my shirt wraped up around the pipe and wound around my neck before he could stop it. I nearly choked to death. All he had to say is "quit screwing around" we have alot of work to do! :furious:


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## retired rooter

The old RR machines ran in 1 direction and had one switch to turn it on and off .More than once we had to go ,(with bolt cutters ) and get the cable off someone .That has to be the most painful experience (mentally and physical) for someone to remove the cable from your body ,that old machine just would not stop until the HO pulled the plug ,glad no one ever got killed ,my worse injury was sprained hand, and now a bum back and a BIG S for stupid for not getting a loading ramp and auto feed until 1985 , I now use same foot switch for all 3 of my machines,


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## miketheplumber

*almost lost my hand*

I remember when I first started out with repair work. I used to wear those latex gloves until one day when the glove got pinched in the coil and spun my hand around before I even realized what happened. I have never been able to bend my fingers back like they went that day....thought I was going to lose my hand. If that machine had not had a pressure switch I would have broken every bone in my hand for that thing was not slowing down. No way to get to the power switch. I could not imagine getting caught up in that beast again and having no way to stop it.


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## masterk

SEWERATZ,

Is it a OSHA requirement for 2 guy's when using a cable machine or was OSHA trying to pass this .
Please let me know! Thank You!


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## SewerRatz

masterk said:


> SEWERATZ,
> 
> Is it a OSHA requirement for 2 guy's when using a cable machine or was OSHA trying to pass this .
> Please let me know! Thank You!


I remember it being brought up in a continued education class back in the late 90's that OSHA requires two men to operate any motor power cable machine. I will try to research this a bit for you.


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## 130 PLUMBER

SewerRatz said:


> I remember it being brought up in a continued education class back in the late 90's that OSHA requires two men to operate any motor power cable machine. I will try to research this a bit for you.


i have tried to find some info but no luck yet


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## SewerRatz

130 PLUMBER said:


> i have tried to find some info but no luck yet


 Yea their website has information all over the place. Its hard to pin down one specific ruling. Might just have to give them a call Monday morning.


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## All Clear Sewer

Did you call em? Whats the word, I wanta call in Roto Rooter ... :laughing:


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## SewerRatz

All Clear Sewer said:


> Did you call em? Whats the word, I wanta call in Roto Rooter ... :laughing:


 No not yet, got semi-busy this week. I will check into it. Next week now things are slow again.


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