# Talk about safety!



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

We do a lot of water related work, wet basement, foundation drainage, polyurethane injection into weak soils etc. And a lot of sink holes. I generally try to find the cause then come up with a way to fix it. But If I can find no cause for the event I recommend a geo engineer firm so that a rubber stamp is placed on the work and then I do not have to be the brains just the muscle. And in Seattle we do not get very many sink holes and if we do they are related to broken sewers, water lines, below grade drainage systems. Well today I went to a sink hole under a very nice home. It was reported to be in the crawl space. I crawl in and in about the middle of the house is a 6 foot x 8 foot hole. Only a couple feet away from the center main support beam and footings. Was not the sewer or water lines etc. But here is the kicker it was 16 feet deep with water to within 2 feet of the grade. Huge cracks in the soil around it and more of the surrounding area was about to fall in. I never bring my phone into crawl spaces so I did not get a picture and recommended calling a Geo Engineering firm. I will get pics if I am asked to participate in the job. It was one crazy hole.


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## bulldozer (Jan 11, 2009)

Wow!!!!! What would cause that?


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Newer construction maybe in the neighborhood altering the water table depth, city or county storm systems installed blocking off the original footing drains. A huge tree may have occupied the spot and decayed away. There are a lot of things. For me I need to know where the dam dirt went that occupied the space. But if I do it I will pump the water out for a week and see if I can get the level of the water table to drop then I would drill from below grade on one of the streets below to put in some pipe to take the water away from under the house. Just don't want to be too low to where the pipe is always full of water. This is a situation where the drill and the pipe burster may work hand in hand. Then fill the surrounding soil with foam to stiffen it up, some flowable fill, compact and pray that it works lol.


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## budders (May 19, 2013)

This happend about 20 min ago banged my head on an 1 1/2 copper pipe


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

budders said:


> This happened about 20 min ago banged my head on an 1 1/2 copper pipe


Might have to grow out the hair to cover that one up... :laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

budders said:


> This happend about 20 min ago banged my head on an 1 1/2 copper pipe










Ouch. That's why on the bigger jobs there is a safety officer, safety meetings and such. You would have had a hard hat on. I've been on jobs where in addition to the hardhat, they require gloves and eye protection to be worn at all times.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Has anybody run into places requiring steel toe and metatarsals protection. That's basically a steel toe and a steel or hard shell tongue of the boot.


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## bulldozer (Jan 11, 2009)

We did a job in a steel wire rope factory. They made us wear those things. I hated it. Couldn't put your rubber boots over them so your standing in sewer water with wet feet all day. They wouldn't budge on the rule. Plus your constantly tripping from not being used to them.


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## budders (May 19, 2013)

Tommy plumber said:


> Ouch. That's why on the bigger jobs there is a safety officer, safety meetings and such. You would have had a hard hat on. I've been on jobs where in addition to the hardhat, they require gloves and eye protection to be worn at all times.


 yea was my fault for not wearing my hard hat. It is required but the area was a cluster f*ck of pipes and water heaters so it was hindering me more then helping sadly i just cut that pipe i hit my head on i cut it just high enough where i couldnt see it. So double my fault


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

budders said:


> This happend about 20 min ago banged my head on an 1 1/2 copper pipe


Hard hat???


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## budders (May 19, 2013)

sparky said:


> Hard hat???


 i took it off. Was getting in the way


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## Fast fry (May 19, 2012)

I have been on jobs that if you were caught not wearing ear plugs or gloves you would be thrown off. Some jobs they try to make it so safe it becomes unsafe


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## MatthewWats (Nov 20, 2014)

Cuda said:


> Newer construction maybe in the neighborhood altering the water table depth, city or county storm systems installed blocking off the original footing drains. A huge tree may have occupied the spot and decayed away. There are a lot of things. For me I need to know where the dam dirt went that occupied the space. But if I do it I will pump the water out for a week and see if I can get the level of the water table to drop then I would drill from below grade on one of the streets below to put in some pipe to take the water away from under the house. Just don't want to be too low to where the pipe is always full of water. This is a situation where the drill and the pipe burster may work hand in hand. Then fill the surrounding soil with foam to stiffen it up, some flowable fill, compact and pray that it works lol.


True, it will alter the water dept hand installed blocking off the dirt. There are many such situation that are above mention. If you will get the level for drilling than you will drill it from beneath of the water.


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## Laura Scheffner (Jun 9, 2015)

You should bring all the safety stuffs and properly use them. Be careful in future.


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## mccmech (Jul 6, 2011)

Laura Scheffner said:


> You should bring all the safety stuffs and properly use them. Be careful in future.


What kind of stuffs???? Please tell me more about the stuffs, please!!!!


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

If there is a pipe, vent, ducting, or anything hanging low enough, my head will find it! Try running out the back of a CH-53E with the tail skid down... they don't move, and a cranial is no match.

I've only encountered one sink hole that formed because of a broken sewer. Trash truck opened it up. Big enough to fit a Volkswagen. Turned into a $25k job for the HO who then filed for bankruptcy once he got the bill.


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## alagunilla (Jul 4, 2017)

Here's additional safety tips guys: http://www.hiltonplumbing.com.au/toilets/


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

mccmech said:


> What kind of stuffs???? Please tell me more about the stuffs, please!!!!


Lol, man where did mccmech go? He had some good posts.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

alagunilla said:


> Here's additional safety tips guys: http://www.hiltonplumbing.com.au/toilets/



Here is a tip for you. >>>>>> http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/why-post-intro-11368/


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