Celebrating Safety Week at Water Treatment Facilities

Windsor Lake/Petty Harbour Long Pond and Bay Bulls Big Pond Water Treatment Plant have both incorporated health and safety practices into their daily activities.

At Windsor Lake, they’ve gone 3503 days without a lost time incident; and Bay Bulls Big Pond has currently gone 2573 days without a lost time incident.

Operations personnel are often exposed to potentially hazardous situations, including chemical exposure, confined space entry, working from heights and working around energized equipment. Laboratory Technicians handle a variety of chemicals and reagents to analyze water samples and routinely travel to remote sample stations throughout the City for water sample collection and testing.

A strong safety culture has been established at these facilities, including:

• Training: all employees are current in legislated training and complete in-house familiarization and refresher training for tools, equipment and processes.
• Developing and reviewing Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Safe Work Practices (SWPs) for all safety sensitive tasks, procedures and general practices
• Toolbox talks: reviewing and discussing the safety components for upcoming activity
• Pre-task completion of a hazard assessment: recognizing what potential hazards we are facing and ensuring all hazards are controlled to allow us to complete the task safely.
• PPE Policy: We wear personal protective equipment such as mandatory steel toe boots, hard hats, safety vests and safety glasses, respirators, tyvex suits, hearing protection and fall arrest equipment, when required
• Workplace inspections: staff are rotated so that there are always fresh eyes and perspective, includes management
• OHS Permits: completed, reviewed, approved and signed off by a supervisor
• Performing regular checks of process equipment and safety equipment

We’re proud of this team’s ongoing commitment to occupational health and safety as well as their commitment to ensuring our water is safe and clear. May 5-11 is also World Drinking Water Week, and we acknowledge the role safety plays in ensuring our drinking water is amongst the best in North America!