20 July 2006

In June the Water Directorate successfully held its inaugural Water Safety Workshop at the Energy Safety Days in Dubbo.   We were very pleased with approximately 60 delegates attending from a large range of organisations including 10 NSW councils, Railcorp, Ergon Energy, Country Energy, Energy Australia and private consultancy Electrical Consulting and Training.

The workshop was held on Day 1 of the Safety Days and addressed the topics of Stray Electrical Currents; Cutting, Handling and Disposal of AC Pipes; Confined Spaces; and Safe Work Method Statements. Thanks to John Werda and Doug Hobart from Sydney Water for presenting on stray electrical currents. Thanks to Peter Clifton from Riverina Water County Council for presenting on Cutting, Handling and Disposal of AC Pipes. Thanks to the Riverina Safety Officer, Daryl Ryan, and again Peter Clifton for presenting on work places that are marginally classified as Confined Spaces. Thanks to Mike Wilson from Dubbo City Council for presenting on Safe Work Method Statements.

Well done and thanks to the Water Directorate Executive Committee members Stewart McLeod and Peter Clifton for organising the workshop, chairing and conducting some of the sessions and thanks also to the 60 attendees for interacting with the presenters and giving practical feedback. From this year’s level of interest and consensus by delegates that the inaugural workshop was practical and useful, I will definitely recommend to the Executive Committee to be involved in another workshop next year which we understand will be held in Sydney.

If held again next year then it would be pleasing if more member councils could support and send staff to the Water Safety Workshop. This year’s delegates suggested that the 2007 Water Safety Workshop could draw from the following list of topics:

• Working under powerlines and/or within close proximity of powerlines including risk assessments, Workcover Draft Code of Practice, exemptions etc;
• Chemical spills;
• Advantages and disadvantages of sodium hypochlorite vs gaseous chlorine;
• Traffic control, traffic control plans including authority to sign off on traffic control plans, road signage etc;
• Working in rail corridors, access to rail protection officers;
• Manual handling;
• Working at heights and depths;
• Creating a database of SWMSs to sharing among all councils; and
• Authority to sign off in general.

The Water Directorate thanks Country Energy for its invitation to participate in their hosting of the annual Energy Safety Days and also appreciates Sydney Water’s assistance. The Water Directorate was pleased to be given this opportunity to promote safe work practices in the local government water industry. The Executive Committee will consider how we can be more involved next year.

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