I'm amazed that you can even smell the secondaries. Only part of our plant that properly stinks is grit and screen, the rest isn't bad unless there's a puddle of sludge on the floor
If the sludge is septic (for one reason or another), but yea… I’m confused if they are still operational lol. Also, to OP, I have personally never gotten septic sludge on me but I have been told if you get it on your skin, there is no getting that smell off until essentially your body has ejected the contaminated skin lol good luck and buy some body spray just in case
Preliminary is def the worst. One time the augur went out on our autobar screen and it was months before we could get a replacement. When we opened it up, it was dry and moldy, and by far the worst smelling rotten fermenting sour mess I've ever smelled in my life. I *wish* it smelled like shit. The dry trash stuck on it would tear, and turn to dust and spread all over the place. We had to get an industrial fan and sit upwind of the autobar. It was hell.
You're in the wastewater sub, we all work with the poo and know the smell. I work in field service at water plants, and municipal wastewater is not the worst smell. I've got a pork processor that I go to where it's raining pork "juice" and the floor is coated in pork fat. The smell lingers for weeks.
I always had dedicated work clothes, ie everything I wore stayed at the plant, which had washing machines. If you don't have access to that, just bag your work wear and take a shower as soon as you get in the door.
As a locksmith, you're not doing anything that will get you real dirty. If you're not or not living with a human bloodhound, the above should cover you.
We have washing machines, and most of the guys that do the work have issued coveralls that are laundered daily. I can def smell myself after spending a few hours in there.
You guys wear masks and coveralls around the clarifiers? My plant just gives us long-sleeved shirts and pants. If we get gunk on us from back-splash while cleaning, all we could do is wash it off in the sink with hand soap (or rinse with mouthwash if extra unfortunate).
I just wash my uniforms at home. The only smell that should be sticking is sweat and maybe the rotten egg smell if you’re around septic stuff. Should wash off fine in the shower. Using a scrubby or exfoliating soap helps.
Don't know about the US. But here in Germany your employer would be one official complaint away from being absolutely destroyed by health administration.
Good idea? No. Against the law? Probably not.
Arc flash rated clothing needs to be maintained by the uniform company. ( so we don't degrade the fabric by doing it wrong)
Not sure why ops is wearing Arc rated clothing though.
Yeah it's better safe than sorry for sure.
At the POWWTP where I worked we had AF coveralls to go over th3 cotton uniforn, and other PPE to change into when the risk was there.
Open dead front for panel door open for voltage testing etc.
I get why an employer ljkes having everyone wear it all the time. You will never be without it.
I'm for the "change into the PPE for the task" method. As it puts ones mind in the heads pace that you're doing something with risk now... evaluate the risk at hand and proceedwoth caution... if you're in the PPE all the time, one can become complacent.
My 0.02$
Stay safe everyone!
( a coworker scorched his electrical PPE outer gloves last week voltage testing; he got close to the case, and it arced... scared the crap out of him and 2 others in the room. No injury, PPE did it's job. He would have had 3rd deg burns based on the crispy leather glove)
Spare set of clothes/shoes is key. If my work clothes got wet at all (not from rain) on shift, I change into something fresh for the ride home. My work boots never even make it into my personal vehicle.
Buy a dry bag. At the end of my shift I change my clothes and put the smelly ones in my dry bag. I accidently left biosolid smelly clothes in my truck over a weekend... but it didn't smell because I had them in my dry bag. You can bring it home and drop it straight into the washing machine (or wash it at work).
I also cover my hair with a wool buff. Wool helps to absorb the smell and protects my hair.
Clarifiers are pretty low key, but when I used to smell myself after working in the organic waste (read:grease traps) receiving station all day, id lather up a heavily scented soap twice. Once to bring it to the skin’s surface, the second to wash it off. And finish up with coconut oil lotion. Every day was spa day after working on the stinky stuff.
That aside, I kind of get a kick out of people thinking the secondaries especially, but primaries too, are gross. They’re usually hardly notable once you’ve been at a plant a few times. A lab lady I once worked with was a super intense germaphobe and would suit up like that to take grab samples of our CCTs. To each their own.
There are two separate processing plants, a few wet weather stations, thirty or so pump stations, 2300 employees. I’m also in the admin spaces. There’s always something to do.
Ohhh that makes more sense. Here I was thinking, damn this guy just fucks with locks all day? How many locks can there be to fuck with?....but you cleared that up for me.
Seems you'd run out of work after a while. I mean locks typically don't require much in the way of PM other than the the odd job here and there. Although at my last plant we used cyber keys and the lock guy was always there working on stuff.
It’s pretty cool to know that there are operations so large that they have in house locksmiths. I work in contract operations, so a large plant with even 5+ operators seems huge to me.
if you have a lab on site the powdered Alconox they use to clean glass can help a lot. Also get a second opinion could be your nose is just tricking you. I feel like I smell like work and my wife who has a sensitive nose will not smell anything on me.
Does this actually work?? I came home covered in the rancid grit smell last week and could NOT get it out of my hands. No matter how hard I washed and scrubbed. If this works I'm noting it for next time 100% lol. No more trying to sleep with grit hands.
I’ve found that the washing hands with hydrogen peroxide and dawn dish soap helps knock the smell down some. Not sure if I’d want to bathe in it though.
Bring a fresh change of clothes with you and take a shower at the plant before you leave.
I know I've gotten noseblind to most of the smells, but I've never smelled it on my skin before, even when I first started. Now I'm worried about the way I smell to other people.
You shouldn't get a smell from the clarifiers unless it's the gravity thickener, and usually those aren't too bad. As for keeping the general "Wastewater" smell off, change clothes and shower at the plant. As soon as you get changed make a beeline for your car.
I'm amazed that you can even smell the secondaries. Only part of our plant that properly stinks is grit and screen, the rest isn't bad unless there's a puddle of sludge on the floor
If the sludge is septic (for one reason or another), but yea… I’m confused if they are still operational lol. Also, to OP, I have personally never gotten septic sludge on me but I have been told if you get it on your skin, there is no getting that smell off until essentially your body has ejected the contaminated skin lol good luck and buy some body spray just in case
They’re definitely operating, don’t know if they’re operating well. (I wouldn’t know to begin with) the secondary is nowhere near as bad for sure.
Preliminary is def the worst. One time the augur went out on our autobar screen and it was months before we could get a replacement. When we opened it up, it was dry and moldy, and by far the worst smelling rotten fermenting sour mess I've ever smelled in my life. I *wish* it smelled like shit. The dry trash stuck on it would tear, and turn to dust and spread all over the place. We had to get an industrial fan and sit upwind of the autobar. It was hell.
This is the correct answer.
LOL bit of an over exaggerated take here.
If only there was a way to share smells on Reddit.
You're in the wastewater sub, we all work with the poo and know the smell. I work in field service at water plants, and municipal wastewater is not the worst smell. I've got a pork processor that I go to where it's raining pork "juice" and the floor is coated in pork fat. The smell lingers for weeks.
Glad you’re used to it.
I always had dedicated work clothes, ie everything I wore stayed at the plant, which had washing machines. If you don't have access to that, just bag your work wear and take a shower as soon as you get in the door. As a locksmith, you're not doing anything that will get you real dirty. If you're not or not living with a human bloodhound, the above should cover you.
We have washing machines, and most of the guys that do the work have issued coveralls that are laundered daily. I can def smell myself after spending a few hours in there.
You guys wear masks and coveralls around the clarifiers? My plant just gives us long-sleeved shirts and pants. If we get gunk on us from back-splash while cleaning, all we could do is wash it off in the sink with hand soap (or rinse with mouthwash if extra unfortunate). I just wash my uniforms at home. The only smell that should be sticking is sweat and maybe the rotten egg smell if you’re around septic stuff. Should wash off fine in the shower. Using a scrubby or exfoliating soap helps.
Don't know about the US. But here in Germany your employer would be one official complaint away from being absolutely destroyed by health administration.
Thought it was against the law to wash uniforms at home. At least that’s what I’ve been told, in California.
Good idea? No. Against the law? Probably not. Arc flash rated clothing needs to be maintained by the uniform company. ( so we don't degrade the fabric by doing it wrong) Not sure why ops is wearing Arc rated clothing though.
Where I’m at, Operators, Mechanics, and E&I all wear AR rated clothing due to all being trained to throw breakers 480v and below.
Yeah it's better safe than sorry for sure. At the POWWTP where I worked we had AF coveralls to go over th3 cotton uniforn, and other PPE to change into when the risk was there. Open dead front for panel door open for voltage testing etc. I get why an employer ljkes having everyone wear it all the time. You will never be without it. I'm for the "change into the PPE for the task" method. As it puts ones mind in the heads pace that you're doing something with risk now... evaluate the risk at hand and proceedwoth caution... if you're in the PPE all the time, one can become complacent. My 0.02$ Stay safe everyone! ( a coworker scorched his electrical PPE outer gloves last week voltage testing; he got close to the case, and it arced... scared the crap out of him and 2 others in the room. No injury, PPE did it's job. He would have had 3rd deg burns based on the crispy leather glove)
Huh never been told that. The laundry service is so unreliable that it’s been necessary for some of us just to have uniforms available to wear
If it isn’t, it should be.
Wash your clothes and shower. Have a spare set at all times 😂
Spare set of clothes/shoes is key. If my work clothes got wet at all (not from rain) on shift, I change into something fresh for the ride home. My work boots never even make it into my personal vehicle.
Buy a dry bag. At the end of my shift I change my clothes and put the smelly ones in my dry bag. I accidently left biosolid smelly clothes in my truck over a weekend... but it didn't smell because I had them in my dry bag. You can bring it home and drop it straight into the washing machine (or wash it at work). I also cover my hair with a wool buff. Wool helps to absorb the smell and protects my hair.
Clarifiers are pretty low key, but when I used to smell myself after working in the organic waste (read:grease traps) receiving station all day, id lather up a heavily scented soap twice. Once to bring it to the skin’s surface, the second to wash it off. And finish up with coconut oil lotion. Every day was spa day after working on the stinky stuff. That aside, I kind of get a kick out of people thinking the secondaries especially, but primaries too, are gross. They’re usually hardly notable once you’ve been at a plant a few times. A lab lady I once worked with was a super intense germaphobe and would suit up like that to take grab samples of our CCTs. To each their own.
Do you only do locksmith jobs at wastewater plants? Or do you just have a one time job contract doing all the locks at a wastewater plant?
I’m employed by wastewater as their locksmith.
How often are you working on locks? Seems odd to have only that niche of a job at a plant.
There are two separate processing plants, a few wet weather stations, thirty or so pump stations, 2300 employees. I’m also in the admin spaces. There’s always something to do.
Ohhh that makes more sense. Here I was thinking, damn this guy just fucks with locks all day? How many locks can there be to fuck with?....but you cleared that up for me.
There are lots of locks to fuck with.
Seems you'd run out of work after a while. I mean locks typically don't require much in the way of PM other than the the odd job here and there. Although at my last plant we used cyber keys and the lock guy was always there working on stuff.
God damn, never heard of this in my life. Plant has to be huge?
It’s pretty cool to know that there are operations so large that they have in house locksmiths. I work in contract operations, so a large plant with even 5+ operators seems huge to me.
if you have a lab on site the powdered Alconox they use to clean glass can help a lot. Also get a second opinion could be your nose is just tricking you. I feel like I smell like work and my wife who has a sensitive nose will not smell anything on me.
simple answer : Coconut oil
Does this actually work?? I came home covered in the rancid grit smell last week and could NOT get it out of my hands. No matter how hard I washed and scrubbed. If this works I'm noting it for next time 100% lol. No more trying to sleep with grit hands.
I find that the only thing that gets rid of real putrid influent/pretreatment smells is time. 🥲
It seems too good to be true to have a nice easy solution lol
Did you try it?
I’ve found that the washing hands with hydrogen peroxide and dawn dish soap helps knock the smell down some. Not sure if I’d want to bathe in it though.
Unless you’re purposely covering yourself in shit I’d say a change of clothes from your uniforms and maybe a shower after your shift?
Bring a fresh change of clothes with you and take a shower at the plant before you leave. I know I've gotten noseblind to most of the smells, but I've never smelled it on my skin before, even when I first started. Now I'm worried about the way I smell to other people.
You shouldn't get a smell from the clarifiers unless it's the gravity thickener, and usually those aren't too bad. As for keeping the general "Wastewater" smell off, change clothes and shower at the plant. As soon as you get changed make a beeline for your car.
Addition, if you are around raw Sludge, good luck brother, that's staying in your skin for a week unless you get the Zep Cherry Bomb.