Sewer camera work is not heavy and it is not usually dangerous, which is why its hazards get ignored. Sewage carries pathogens and gets on hands, faces and clothes; a cleanout cap can release pressure and spray; a basement or a manhole can hold gas; a roof is a fall. The protective equipment for a camera inspection is modest and it scales with the entry, from gloves and glasses at a lawn cleanout to a full confined-space setup at a manhole. This guide sets out what to use and when.
Quick answer: for every job, nitrile gloves under a grippy outer glove, safety glasses or a face shield when opening a cap or retrieving, waterproof boots, knee protection, and a hygiene kit of soap, water, disinfectant wipes and a bag for contaminated waste. For any enclosed or below-grade entry, a gas monitor reading before and during the work. For a roof, a rated ladder, fall protection and a second person. For a manhole, a traffic plan, a lifter, a monitor and no entry. Wash before eating and keep work clothes separate.
Hands
Hands are in sewage all day. A thin nitrile glove gives a barrier; a grippy outer glove, rubber-palmed or nitrile-coated, protects it and holds a wet rod. Change nitrile gloves when they tear and after the retrieval. Thick leather gloves grip badly and soak up contamination; bare hands are not an option. Cleaning and disinfecting covers the hygiene the gloves are part of.
Eyes and face
Opening a cleanout on a line under pressure, pulling a head out of a trap, rinsing a rod and jetting all put sewage in the air at face height. Safety glasses are the minimum; a face shield for cap removal on a suspected surcharged line and for any jetting. An eye wash bottle in the kit for when it happens anyway. A line full of water is when the cap sprays.
Feet and knees
Waterproof boots with a sole that grips wet concrete and lawn; a cleanout area is wet by the end. Knee pads or a kneeling pad for the hour spent at the entry; kneeling on gravel and concrete does lasting damage and a pad costs nothing.
Clothing
Work clothes that are washed separately from household laundry, or disposable coveralls for a known sewage job. A waterproof apron or bib for retrieval on a wet job. Long sleeves; forearms are the next thing in the sewage after the hands. Change clothes before getting into a personal vehicle or going home.
Hygiene kit
Soap and a container of clean water for hands, since many sites have no tap; disinfectant wipes for hands, phone and monitor; a sealed bag for used gloves and rags; hand cream, because repeated washing and nitrile crack skin; and a rule of no eating, drinking or smoking until hands are washed. Hepatitis A and tetanus vaccinations are a sensible precaution for anyone who does this regularly.
Gas
Any entry below grade or in an enclosed space, a basement cleanout, a crawlspace, a pit, a vault, and above all a manhole, can hold hydrogen sulphide, methane and low oxygen. A four-gas monitor clipped on and read before and during the work is the protection; a nose is not, because hydrogen sulphide deadens it. Ventilate a basement before opening a cleanout where there is any smell. Never lean into a manhole. Sewer gas safety covers the detail.
Roofs
A roof vent entry adds a ladder rated and footed, a harness and anchor where pitch or height require, non-slip footwear, and a second person on the ground. It also adds the judgement not to do it on a wet, icy or steep roof. Entering from a roof vent covers the job.
Manholes
Traffic control to the local standard, a manhole lifter, a gas monitor on a line, a second person, high-visibility clothing, and no entry under any circumstances without confined space training, a permit and a rescue arrangement. Entering from a manhole covers what can be done from the surface.
Equipment hygiene
Protective equipment is also for the equipment: the reel, monitor and phone that gloved hands touch. Wipe the monitor and phone with a disinfectant wipe at the end, keep a clean glove for the screen, and treat the case as contaminated until it is cleaned. Cleaning after a sewage job covers the reel.
What is overkill
A respirator at a lawn cleanout in the open air. Disposable coveralls for a dry camera look in a new PVC lateral. A harness on a single-storey flat roof with a parapet. The kit scales with the hazard, and a crew that dresses every job for the worst case stops dressing for any of them. The baseline of gloves, glasses, boots and hygiene is never overkill.
Customers and bystanders
Keep children and pets away from the open cleanout and the rod. Lay a sheet where the rod will coil. Do not let a homeowner hold the rod without gloves. Close the cleanout before leaving the entry unattended.
Common questions
What gloves should I wear for sewer camera work?
Nitrile under a grippy outer glove. Change the nitrile when torn and after retrieval.
Do I need a gas monitor for a sewer camera inspection?
For any below-grade or enclosed entry, yes. For an outdoor cleanout on a lawn, no.
Can I eat lunch after running a sewer camera?
After washing hands and forearms with soap, changing out of contaminated gloves and ideally outer clothing, yes.
Related guides
See the pipe inspection camera guide, how a sewer camera works, and how lateral launch cameras work.