Do you use gloves when handling sewer hose?

[96 Wideglide]

I use a Sani-con system. No need for gloves!

But I do have a hand sanitizer in the wet bay, which I use when I'm done.

[NCC-1701A]

I always do. One use and toss them followed by washing hands as well.

I think it's impossible to say that the outside of one's sewer hose is "clean" when it's been laying on the ground where other people already dumped...maybe with seepage right where your hose is laying. I know that I don't have eyes equivalent to a microscope to visually see the hordes of bacteria and other nasties on the outside of any given sewer hose!

For those that say their own "stuff" cannot hurt them the answer is "it depends..."

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/a...tinal-bacteria

Why did this thread make me think of the RV Dump scene from "RV?"

https://youtu.be/-C0bpTLEmZw

Happy dumping!

[Charles L]

Do you wear gloves when you use the toilet?

[Ldubs]

Originally Posted by Charles L

Do you wear gloves when you use the toilet?

A lot of folks wear them when they clean the toilet.

[Dutch Star Don]

We use the SaniCon system and I don't use gloves. Before our first SaniCon unit in 2005, we used a 3" hose and never used gloves then.

When I get diesel, I rinse my hands off in the windshield washer water at the pumps and use their towels to dry off.....no diesel smell. Still drink from the hose and from my onboard water tank too!

[jimcumminsw]

Will I do use gloves simply for the reason is I don't want to get sick, period. A simple safe procedure in preventing an easy way that you can become ill is by providing a barrier against germs, is using disposal gloves.

[Wbago97]

You have to keep your immune system trained

[astrnmrtom]

Well, I just voted in my own poll.

My answer is yes, always. Spent over 40 years dealing with some pretty icky stuff, and early on didn't use gloves much. Later, there was an emphasis on Blood Born Pathogen training so gloving up became standard procedure when dealing with body fluids. Then, 20 years ago obtained my pesticide license and PPE was drilled into us pretty hard. Some of the stuff I handled was easily absorbed through the skin, which is not good with pesticides that are neurotoxins. Most acute exposures are through the skin, so using gloves became a always-wear habit. Also knowing the proper way to remove them is important. Last week we visited a restaurant with a self serve area. I watched as one of the patrons put on a pair of gloves to go fill his plate, then after setting the plate down, pulled off the first glove, then using his uncovered hand, grabbed the fingers of the second glove and pulled it off. Doing so negated his use of glove to protect himself. But I'm sure he felt safer.

In both training situations we were shown just how easily, and common, cross contamination is using an invisible, but UV reactive tracer placed on an item. Even when people were told to be careful, the tracer was widely transferred, including, to most people's surprise, the participant's faces. People don't realize just how often they touch their faces without realizing it.

So, even after retiring, this glove habit continues. It's a simple, cheap and easy step to reduce possible self contamination.

FYI, it's Sunday again and checkout time at this campground. Here I sit with a view out my window of the dump station. I'm not sure I've seen anyone use gloves.

Hey, Old-Biscuit. I think they used a photo of you having your sandwich in our pesticide training classes. In the don't part of the dos and don't section, they always showed a slide of a couple guys having lunch, surrounded by pesticides, some of which were leaking or spilled. One guy's sandwich was set on the top of a barrel that had a skull and crossbones on it. Didn't notice if he was smoking a cigar though.

[Mudfrog]

Can't say that I won't sooner or later but up until now (40 plus years), have never worn gloves. Our wet bay has a pump switch, exterior shower, and a soap dispenser. Before dumping, I aim the shower head out and turn on the pump so everything is ready to wash hands afterwards. Dump, put hose back, turn on shower faucet, get a squirt of soap, and wash. Ready to eat my sandwich now!

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by astrnmrtom

Well, I just voted in my own poll.

My answer is yes, always. Spent over 40 years dealing with some pretty icky stuff, and early on didn't use gloves much. Later, there was an emphasis on Blood Born Pathogen training so gloving up became standard procedure when dealing with body fluids. Then, 20 years ago obtained my pesticide license and PPE was drilled into us pretty hard. Some of the stuff I handled was easily absorbed through the skin, which is not good with pesticides that are neurotoxins. Most acute exposures are through the skin, so using gloves became a always-wear habit. Also knowing the proper way to remove them is important. Last week we visited a restaurant with a self serve area. I watched as one of the patrons put on a pair of gloves to go fill his plate, then after setting the plate down, pulled off the first glove, then using his uncovered hand, grabbed the fingers of the second glove and pulled it off. Doing so negated his use of glove to protect himself. But I'm sure he felt safer.

In both training situations we were shown just how easily, and common, cross contamination is using an invisible, but UV reactive tracer placed on an item. Even when people were told to be careful, the tracer was widely transferred, including, to most people's surprise, the participant's faces. People don't realize just how often they touch their faces without realizing it.

So, even after retiring, this glove habit continues. It's a simple, cheap and easy step to reduce possible self contamination.

FYI, it's Sunday again and checkout time at this campground. Here I sit with a view out my window of the dump station. I'm not sure I've seen anyone use gloves.

Hey, Old-Biscuit. I think they used a photo of you having your sandwich in our pesticide training classes. In the don't part of the dos and don't section, they always showed a slide of a couple guys having lunch, surrounded by pesticides, some of which were leaking or spilled. One guy's sandwich was set on the top of a barrel that had a skull and crossbones on it. Didn't notice if he was smoking a cigar though.

They didn't tell us they were taking photos otherwise I would have SMILED

AS a kid....
Want to go swimming you had to wipe the moss & stuff away when surfacing. Ponds were dirty as most were for cattle.
Need a drink.....hot rubber garden hose laying in the yard

Oilfield...gloves were oil soaked so you took them off to eat lunch (on the job) and your hands were dirty

NAVY......crawl out of the bilge. Go topside/gulp down some chow and hit it back down into the engine room

Power Plant......gloves when performing duties/then off to eat

Dumping our RV waste tanks is far less dirty then many many situations I have been exposed to

WASH your HANDS.......

Simple

[PKI]

Hand washing wastes water, a valuable commodity that is growing scarce in the West. Who has time to properly wash hands when packing up to travel and who wants to spread germs all over the rig while packing it up. Sure, you can, but why not practice an approach that does not require that step? Then again, if your hands can stand the chemical attack, a wipe can keep you rolling and sanitize the rig parts as well. They also work at fuel stops, restrooms, and to wipe down shopping carts, door knobs .......

[GMH]

Yes, I have a pair of rubber garbage gloves that I keep in a container along with some hand sanitizer. I wear the gloves only for handling the hose. I rinse the hose so the remaining grey water doesn’t wind up inside my bumper. A quick shot of hand sanitizer when finished and I can eat my cheezies on the way home.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by astrnmrtom

We've been in a campground for two weeks with full hook ups and the dump station visible from our site. There's been a lot of coming and going of RVs, and I've noticed, almost everyone isn't using gloves when handling their sewer hose. Do you use gloves?

Yes I wear industrial rubber gloves every time. I am old and have very thin skin that tears easily. I can cut myself without knowing until I have blood all over me and what I'm handling.
I do not want sewer matter contacting an open wound.

[shootist]

Cheap insurance, I quit getting the flu 35 years ago when I quit touching doors in public bathrooms. Use my elbows if I have too. Gloves and wash afterwards. Don't wear masks for covid, would not even consider the vaccine.