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Working over or near water presents a number of problems, in particular:
The ever-present risk of persons falling into the water.
The complexity of legal obligations that vary from district to district.
General guidance is given in the following paragraphs. Detailed safe working procedures should be developed for each individual project in the light of prevailing conditions.
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations applies, as do the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. The Docks Regulations and the Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations, in certain circumstances, can also apply.
It is the most senior Manager or Supervisor responsibility for implementation of this procedure. It is the Contracts Managers responsibility for monitoring compliance with this procedure.
Any workplace over, on, or near water, presents a danger that persons might slip, fall or be swept off their feet by a rapid rise of tide, strong current, or swell from passing water traffic. Whether or not a person is injured by a fall, there is an immediate risk of drowning and/or being carried away by the current. Risks from these hazards must be assessed and eliminated or reduced as far as possible.
Precautions must be taken, firstly to prevent persons from tripping, falling or being swept into the water and, secondly, if the worst happens, to ensure that they are rescued in the shortest possible time before they can come to any further harm. Safe working methods and emergency procedures should be set out in the Health and Safety Plan and all persons involved must be given adequate instruction, training and supervision.
Platforms and gangways must comply with the requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. At all edges from which a person might fall into water, platforms, guardrails, barriers, etc. compliance with the regulations is required. Warning notices should be erected at all edges and boundaries near water and set so that they are easily seen by operatives approaching the anger point. Where platforms or gangways are erected above tidal water, decking boards should be secured so that they cannot become dislodged by rising water or high winds.
The provision of additional handholds is always advisable as a precaution in the event of storms. Barges, pontoons, etc., used as working platforms, must be properly constructed and be sufficiently stable to avoid tipping. Special attention must therefore be paid to good anchorage and ballasting; point loads near the edge should be avoided; due account should be taken of the variation of load at the different radii of deck mounted crane jibs.
Ladders must be sound, of sufficient length and strength and be securely lashed to prevent slipping. Where ladders are permanently fitted to plant over water, they should be fitted with safety hoops.
The use of safety nets should be considered. Safety nets should be properly secured and slung sufficiently far above high water level for anyone caught in them to remain clear and so that free access of rescue craft is always possible. Manufacturers should be consulted on what type of net best suits the kind of work to be carried out and the prevailing conditions. Safety harnesses must be used where appropriate. Remember, these do not prevent the fall; they only prevent the person from falling too far.
Site tidiness is of special importance in minimizing tripping hazards. Tools, ropes and other materials not in use should be stored away; rubbish should be cleared up promptly. Materials awaiting use should be stacked compactly and, particularly on pontoons, not piled too high. Slippery surfaces are extremely dangerous and should be treated immediately. Seaweed, sea-slime and bird droppings should be cleaned off. Oily or greasy surfaces should be gritted. Icy or frosty surfaces should be treated with industrial salt or sand. Drip trays should be sand-filled and set beneath all machinery to prevent the development of oily, slippery surfaces and, especially on pontoons, to minimise fire hazards. The water area near the work should be kept clear of flotsam. Boatmen should be instructed to report its presence and to clear where possible.
The local weather forecast should be obtained and publicised at the beginning of each day’s work, or shift. Rain, rising winds, fog, sea mist etc., are all potential dangers.
First aid facilities should be available, in the charge of a First Aider or appointed person, on pontoons, barges and near all landing places. A suitable stretcher and resuscitation equipment, of the portable type, should be readily accessible to the main working area over water and to normal landing places.
Suitable protective clothing and equipment must be provided and worn as required by the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations. In particular, the following will be required:
Safety Helmets
Safety helmets should be worn at all times, since anyone struck on the head and then falling into water is at special risk.
Footwear
Types with non-slip soles should be worn.
Personal Buoyancy Equipment
Life jackets or buoyancy aids should be worn where there is a foreseeable risk of drowning when working on or near water.
A life jacket is a personal safety device which, when fully inflated (if inflatable), will provide sufficient buoyancy to turn and support even an unconscious person face upwards within five seconds (ten seconds if automatically inflated). The person’s head will be supported with the mouth and nose well clear of the water. Some people are reluctant to wear life jackets as they find them bulky and restrictive. However, either an automatically inflatable life jacket or a type, which is inflated by a manual pull-cord, should overcome these problems. These are usually compact and allow for a full range of movement.
Lifebuoys and Rescue Lines
DTI approved lifebuoys, or rescue lines, should be set at intervals along the workings. Lifebuoys, which are normally 765mm outside diameter, should be fitted with a 30m buoyant lifeline, knotted at every 3m to assist handhold; i.e. long enough to allow for the state of the tide, height of working place above water, or for the person being carried downstream by a current. They may be constructed of either cork with canvas covering, or of polyurethane foam with a rigid PVC cover. Both types are effective in salt or fresh water.
It is essential that:
The number of persons at work is periodically checked to ensure that no one is missing,
Operatives work in pairs so that there is always one to raise the alarm,
Each person is trained in what to do in the event of an emergency.
The rescue procedure should consist of:
A set routine for raising the alarm,
A set drill to provide rescue facilities,
A set routine for getting persons to hospital for whether reason
Check-up through immersion in water (possibly polluted), or for treatment as the result of injury.
The first requirement should always be to get the rescued person, if only slightly hurt, to the nearest point where assistance is available as quickly as possible. All operatives would intend to work near to water, must be informed of the possible presence of Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease) and the appropriate measures put in place.
Weil’s disease is usually associated with working within sewage and water works. It can also be caught when refurbishing rat-infested premises. It is said that you are never more than 2m from a rat, so it’s an ever-present problem. It is usually caught either from a bite from a rat or through broken skin.
The symptoms associated with Weil’s disease start with a flu-like illness, headaches and muscle pains. It can be cured completely if treated quickly enough. If not, it can lead to liver and kidney damage and death may follow
Precautions against contracting Weil’s disease are:
Putting down rat poison via a specialist company – (green shoeboxes with a hole in one end)
Ensuring all cuts and abrasions are covered with a suitable medical and sterile waterproof dressing.
Washing tools and putting them away each night
Suitable protective clothing, especially gloves
Supervisors checking operatives’ hands and wrists for cuts
Working clothes should be washed and changed daily
Avoid rubbing your nose and mouth with your hands during work. Use a facemask if this is an ingrained habit.
Ensure hands and face is thoroughly washed before eating, drinking and smoking.
If an occasion arises when an operative falls into deep water, they must immediately inform their supervisor who can then arrange for hospital checks.
Further guidance can be obtained from the Safety Department
AP 20 Working at Height is also applicable to this activity.
