Posted By Al Beevers
An engineer attending a call to access a valve behind a toilet has (somehow) swallowed some water from the cistern and is now suffering from a stomach upset.

Swallowing water wasn't part of the risk assessment as it wasn't imagined possible. Now recognising it, it can be added in.

Has anyone got any past experience of people coming into contact with toilet water (plumbers?). The HSE have some good advice for sewage, but nothing for this.

Also, depending on the interpretation for the CoSHH regs, toilet water would count as a source of micro-organisms. Any ideas on where to start with this, as contact with the water is not envisaged as part of the task.

Any and all help gratefully received.

Al.

Posted By Chris Black
Al

Why are you asking us, if someone is sick then the only advice you should be seeking is qualified medical advice and possibly using an industrial hygienist. An industrial hygienist should be able to sample the water and arrange a test and a doctor can have stool samples analysed (a real stomach upset should provide a plentiful supply). If the stomach upset is real (from personal experience i know some people get queasy at the thought of working near a toilet) then it is more likely due to chemicals (harpic, that sort of thing) than sewage related.
You might also consider the fact that many facilities use water from non-potable sources such as storage tanks, cleaned-up process water or boreholes for filling toilet systems, i would check this out.



I have to say this looks highly improbable, even if he was working open mouthed the natural response would be to expel the water.

I fear he is pulling your leg to avoid further toilet duties (or possibly you are pulling ours)

Posted By J Knight
Water in a cistren might not be clean, you know. While I agree with the general tenor of Chris's remarks, consider that cisterns if not cleaned or disinfected may be colonised by bacteria in biofilms; water in cisterns does not have to reach potability standards (obviously) so no efforts may have been made to route the cold feed away from sources of heat, which would encourage bacterial growth; it may even be 'grey' water,

John

Posted By Jeff Manion
May be its just me.
When wife was pregant with second, she had sickness and used bucket, then she had bad stomach, I emptied contents into toilet pan and had splash back into mouth.
I survived.

Some may not, but what ask where water from, if flushed recently there is a possibilty that air around pan has increased levels of air borne pathogens etc, breathing them can be a problem, but how clean is the individual using area. Have seen many men not wash hands after using toilets and unhygenic siutation can be attributed.

JM

Posted By Dave Wilson
Another one Al remember when working with WC's etc its also to do with hand to mouth contact, putting hand on toilet seat whilst undoing valve at rear and then eating sandwiches a couple of hours later without washing hands.

Classic transfer of bacteria which causes GI infections.