• I think there's no need for a lifejacket. I can swim perfectly well!
  
• I'm unable to wear a lifejacket because I'm welding, grinding or working with sharp objects.
  

Working near, on or in water entails certain risks, such as the risk of drowning. Anyone working near, on or in water could trip, slip and end up in the water, whether in a conscious or unconscious state.

As such, there is a real risk of drowning.

It's not only divers who are exposed to the risk of drowning!

Working near, on or in water may include:

• construction work near water;
  
• drilling, pile-driving;
  
• surveying;
  
• work near water treatment plants, locks or pumping stations;
  
• searching for explosives in canals and rivers.
  

Ending up in the water

When you are working by the waterside, there will often be an embankment and wet/soft soil. A slip can also happen quickly on a pontoon, as the surface often gets wet and muddy.

We also work on water treatment plants, pumping stations and weirs. At these locations, the risk of ending up in the water may be smaller because of the measures that can be taken in the design of these installations. Even so, certain risks are still present, including:

• slipping on decking and grids;
  
• falling into a lock complex;
  
• falling into a weir, settlement tank or aeration tank.
  

You may drown

• if you are unable to swim;
  
• if you have suffered an injury and are struggling to move;
  
• even if you can swim, but you end up in the water unconscious following an accident;
  
• if you don't get out of the water or aren't rescued quickly enough;
  
• if you lose consciousness due to hypothermia.
  
• if the levee is too high and you are unable to get out of the water.
  

• Build a railing by the waterside, on crossings and on pontoons. If you are unable to do so given the nature of the work, use a safety net running across the gangway and down into the water;
  
• Always wear a lifejacket;
  
• Make sure a lifebuoy or lifeline are present;
  
• When working near water, always make sure two or more people are present;
  
• Keep the workplace tidy;
  
• Use sufficient and adequate lighting;
  
• Secure any equipment to the deck so it cannot fall off the pontoon. Make sure to use the right tools to do so — tools that are appropriate for the equipment and pontoon.
  

• Often, risk-mitigating measures have already been taken in the design of these installations, such as;
  

• Edges and railings alongside settlement tanks and aeration circuits;
  
• Entering and exiting using climbing gear with a fall restraint or fixed anchor point for fall protection — think nets or ladders;
  
• In case of strong currents: working on a safety line, grab rails, safety grids and rakes, and lines along the quayside.
  

•     Life-saving equipment
  

• Always wear a lifejacket (with a minimum buoyancy of 275N)
  
• Check your lifejacket for any wear and tear around the fastenings;
  
• Only use lifejackets with a collar (this keeps the head of the person in the lifejacket above water at all times, even when they are unconscious)
  
• Make sure extra clothing and towels are available;
  
• Never wear a lifejacket underneath your normal jacket;
  
• Use special lifejackets in hot conditions.