06 Bijzondere werkzaamheden
 >  Working near and on water
Discussion > Talk with your colleagues about it!
  • 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.
Introduction

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.
What makes working in these circumstances so dangerous?
Here's just one of the possible consequences.
Risks > What can happen?

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.
Grab rails to climb out of the water