Plumbing crews are occasionally required to repair or dismantle sanitary drains that service laboratories. It is possible that the fluids in these lines are either toxic, corrosive, or contain radiological material. Plumbers should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate precautions to avoid exposure that may be harmful. Follow the procedures listed below to help minimize these exposures and perform routine tasks more safely. Any questions or special situations not addressed by these procedures may be resolved by calling EH&S at x88182.

Anytime it is necessary to perform routine work on a sanitary drain, try to track its source and contact the laboratory personnel on the line. Tell them the nature of the required repairs and ask them to avoid use of the system until repairs are completed. Try to flush the lines with water for at least 5 minutes prior to working on them. Under these circumstances, the system should be safe to repair without additional precautions, except for drain lines from laboratories in which radioactive materials are used. For these drain lines, the Radiation Safety Officer must be contacted (x83221) for additional guidance.

The use of all procedures listed below is required whenever it is not possible to track distribution lines, during after-hours repairs, or when repairs are necessary to avoid extensive property damage. In these situations, plumbing personnel must be able to protect themselves and determine how dangerous it is to perform a particular job.