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MNM Safety Alert - Water Related Safety

Working Near Water Hazards

HAZARD - Working around, over, or near water

POTENTIAL OUTCOME - Entrapment, drowning

RISKS – Traveling or operating equipment near water, equipment weight and vibration, undercut banks, sloughing ground, varied water depth, swift currents, inadequate berms, narrow roadways, electrocution. 

Best Practices
  • Conduct daily workplace examinations.
  • Know the water depth and subsurface conditions and ground conditions before you begin work.
  • Keep equipment a safe distance back from the water’s edge.
  • Avoid traveling over ice covered water.
  • Provide handrails around docks and work boats.
  • Properly berm roadways near water hazards.
  • Always wear a Coast Guard approved Type I or Type V personal flotation device (PFD) when working around water, even when inside mobile equipment. Auto-inflatable, if possible.
  • Keep water rescue equipment easily accessible.
  • Know where extra PFDs and rescue rings are stowed.
  • Practice good housekeeping and keep all travel ways clear around water hazards.