Recent articles

Recent articles

Seven Seconds to Save Your Sight

You have seven seconds to save your sight. But you’re not thinking about that … You stumble blindly across the room, trying to ignore the searing pain burrowing deeper into your eye-sockets with every step you take. Then you’re there … head down, you hit the release bar and let the jets of cool, clear water begin to flush the acid from your eyes. You were lucky –and only meters from a safety eyewash station when the accident occurred. Your doctor confirmed that there’s no permanent damage to your sight. But it might have been another story … When was…

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Watch your temper

The tempering of hot water was introduced to the heated water services installation standard to ensure the safety of consumers and the community, and reduce risks, such as skin burns, to users. As the cooler months approach it is vital practitioners ensure hot water standards are met. Without the use of set temperature controls, personal hygiene fixtures such as showers and basins have the potential to expose users to extreme water temperatures. This risk can be easily eliminated by the use
of an appropriately marked temperature control device, such as a tempering valve, thermostatic mixing valve or a water heater complying…

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The Haunted Hospital

It was eerily quiet. The building had been abandoned some 6 years earlier. Entire wards, which once would have once been a busy epicentre, full of patients and medical professionals, now lay completely empty. The only sound that could be heard was the second hand ticking on the clock hanging high on the wall. And then all of a sudden the second stopped, and never moved again… Rumours that the building was haunted were well known. As we arrived to start work we we’re first briefed by the long time security guard, some 8 years. His instructions were simple: Do…

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The Plumbing Detective

The Forensic Plumber Being a top service technician in commercial plumbing maintenance is, in essence, being great at problem solving. You are presented with a problem for which you must provide a solution. Simple, right? So, what distinguishes a good maintenance plumber from a great one? I believe it’s in their heads. What distinguishes them isn’t technical knowledge or years of industry experience, although these do play a major part. What distinguishes them is they approach problems with a passionate state-of-mind and attitude. From the moment the service technician arrives onsite, they follow a strict set of procedural and highly-tuned…

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Relentless Determination

The task set out was relatively simple, in theory. Remove the existing back flow prevention device from the access hole in the roof and re-direct the pipes to the new device on the wall, a much easier point to test the device. As a 1st year apprentice now at the end of my third week, I was already unsurprised that the instructions from the work order would prove more difficult that that. The sheer size of the back flow device, combined with the vice like grip the hemp around the thread had created, meant that the biggest ‘Stilsons’ pipe wrenches…

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