Talking Crap!
This is probably going to get all sorts of reaction, but it really is a serious point of issue where I work. Working on vacuum toilet systems! How does your workplace deal with this?
You watch the SLF leave the aircraft, you go on and read the Tech Log entry, “J Toilet blocked” You set off to investigate, and, cautiously opening J toilet door you are met by the closed toilet lid, using your longest GS you inch up the toilet lid.
If you are lucky there is some mucky water in the bottom, a couple of pieces of toilet tissue stuck to the sides and because the main tank is full the toilet has been prevented from flushing. The toilet tanks are dumped and the toilet flush function returns, the toilet now works, nice empty toilet bowl.
As usual though, the toilet tank is full, the toilet stopped flushing 6 hours ago and you are faced with the deposits of several desperate toilet users. The bowl is half full of human waste products, the stench is nauseating and the aircraft is due out in 90 minutes. What do you do? What is the company policy? The potential for disease in that bowl is obvious.
The company I work for has invested in mobile showers (hardly ever used), fancy suits and toolkits that are only used for this sort of thing and steam cleaned after.
Until recently, it was voluntary whether you tackled the job or not, now it seems that everybody has to be prepared to use the toilet cart to remove the bowl debris, then seek out the cause of the problem and rectify, but there is always some guy goes to the manager and says “give me the standard toilet servicing payment plus 4 hours overtime and I’ll sort it”. He goes in with a pair of rubber gloves on and sorts it out. Maybe he finds it’s not so simple and he re-negotiates an extra couple of hours overtime to break down the system and remove the blockage. He is £100 – 200 better off but not sure if he has Hepatitis C.
Maybe the manager says lock the toilet out, the aircraft flies a round trip with a bowl full of crap while a plan of action is worked out.
What course of action is right? I know you most of you will have a written code of practice to follow i.a.w. COSH and H&S etc. but what actually happens? Any extra cash? Any vaccinations on offer?
While I see the advantages of the vacuum toilet, I was happier working on the old Racasan system when it was unserviceable. Was it any safer?