Years of training and/or experience are needed to become a skilled plumber; some jurisdictions also require that plumbers be licensed.
Common plumbing tasks and skills include:
- Reading drawings and specifications, to determine the layout of water supply, waste, and venting systems
- Detecting faults in plumbing appliances and systems, and correctly diagnosing their causes
- Installing, repairing and maintaining domestic, commercial, and industrial plumbing fixtures and systems
- Locating and marking positions for pipe connections, passage holes, and fixtures in walls and floors
- Measuring, cutting, bending, and threading pipes using hand and power tools or machines
- Joining pipes and fittings together using soldering techniques, compression fittings, threaded fittings, solvent weld, crimp and push-fit fittings.
- Testing pipes for leaks using air or water pressure gauges
- Paying attention, in all work undertaken, to legal regulations and safety issues
- Ensuring that all safety standards and building regulations are met.
There are many types of dangers to a plumber. These include electric shock, strains and sprains, cuts and lacerations, bruises and contusions, fractures, burns and scalds, foreign bodies in the eye, and hernias. Working at height or in confined spaces, or working with lead and asbestos are all on-site dangers that plumbers can face.
Infectious disease risks
Plumbers risk infections when dealing with human waste while repairing sewage systems. Microbes can be excreted in the faecal matter or vomit of the sufferer onto the toilet or sewage pipes. Human waste can contain infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, polio, cryptosporidiosis, ascariasis, and schistosomiasis
The term "White House Plumbers" was a popular name given to the covert White House Special Investigations Unit established on July 24, 1971, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Their job was to plug intelligence "leaks" in the U.S. Government relating to the Vietnam War (i.e. the Pentagon Papers); hence the term "plumbers".
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 cup chunky salsa
- 1 cup coarsely crushed ranch-flavored tortilla chips
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, salsa, tortilla chips, 1/2 cup cheese, the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper; mix well. Place in loaf pan.
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until no pink remains. Sprinkle remaining cheese over meatloaf and cook another 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
National Take a Hike Day on November 17th encourages us to get out there and hit the trails. With over 60,000 miles of trails in the National Trail System across the 50 states, there is no lack of opportunity to take a hike.
Some of those trails are hundreds of years old. For example, the oldest continuously used trail in the United States is Crawford Path in New Hampshire. The beginnings of the mountain path were cleared to the summit of Mt. Washington in 1819. Other trails allow us to follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark or explore even more ancient history like Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Besides experiencing majestic views and the great outdoors, we also exercise our bodies. Hiking not only gets our hearts pumping and our muscles moving, but being outdoors is good for our minds. Many of us spend too much time indoors behind a desk. Hiking can burn between 400-550 calories per hour. What better way to get a head start on all those ‘other’ holiday temptations and observe Take a Hike Day?
Events around the country celebrate Take a Hike Day. Local, state, and National Parks support hiking events encouraging us to enjoy a hike. Be sure to wear good shoes, take a snack and bring a buddy, but get out there and enjoy the fresh air, scenery and get a little exercise to boot!
HOW TO OBSERVE
Invite a friend and take a nice hike.