WORKING ON RIVERBANKS

Risk Assessment :

· Risk to worker,

Drowning or injury sustained due to uneven/unstable/slippery river bank, falling timber,

or unbalanced by co-worker.

Infectious Disease (through cuts, Weils disease, d/s from STW outfalls, dead sheep)

Trauma from sharps, briars, blackthorns, agricultural refuse, barbed wire.

Physical strains from excessive lifting in a difficult environment.

· Risk to co-workers,

Unbalancing when manouevering in-stream and bankside debris.

· Use of tools,

(dealt with under specific tool headings)

CODE OF SAFE PRACTICE

Equipment:

· (dealt with under specific tool headings)

Protective Clothing:

· Waders or boots of suitable length should be worn. These should have non-slip soles.

· Protective Gloves and thornproof clothing are advised to be worn.

· Life jackets should be available.

Site Assessment:

· Prior to the commencement of work, the site should be inspected and assessed for specific hazards, as set out in general safety procedures.

Safe System of Work:

· No person shall work on their own.

· A rope or lifeline must be within easy reach of co-workers on the bank.

· There must always be at least one person on the bank who could provide assistance and raise the alarm in an emergency. This person must be aware of the Nat Grid ref of the site, and also the location of the nearest telephone.

· There must be more than one strong swimmer in the work party.

· No one working on the bank may enter an exclusion zone until the supervisor indicates that it is safe to do so.

· When moving debris in co-ordination with other workers, the person in the stream should give the directions. When more than one person involved is in the river, the person in the deepest part should give the directions. No one should move until all are ready to do so.

· Any injury sustained whilst working should be reported to the safety supervisor and logged on the record sheet.

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