Training
Safety Committee
Matt Poythress and Kelly Browning of the Joint Powers Board Water System (comprising Albertville, St. Michael, and Hanover) accept the American Water Works Association (AWWA) 2004 Safety Award from AWWA past president Marley Price. “This award is truly a reflection of the water system’s use of safety as a foundation for excellence in reliability, productivity, quality and more,” said Minnesota AWWA Safety Committee Chair Bill Anderl. “Congratulations to all the water system employees for their existing safety efforts.”
Purpose
To make water operator safety/health “JOB ONE” for Minnesota’s water supply industry.
Action Items/Tasks
- Prepare new fall-protection training guide for distribution at the annual conference.
- Conduct four-hour workshop on water-tower fall-protection rescue planning.
- Promote use of safety web sites for free water operator training opportunities.
- Host a new safety idea contest for the annual conference.
- Submit three nominations for the American Water Works Association Utility Safety Award in 2005.
- Submit at least one nomination for the National Safety Award.
- Promote the Special Safety Training Program at water schools and the annual conference.
- Develop safety posters and fact sheets for safety training.
Budget
| Revenues | $0 |
| Expenditures | $1,000 |
Membership Roster
Committee Chair: Tom Ozzello
Members: Bill Anderl, Joseph Thor Carlson III, Kath DeLeo, Ruth Hubbard, Tom Peterson
Safety Training for Water Operators
One of the principal reasons for safety training is to prevent accidents and injuries. A Minnesota water operator died from a fall inside a water tower in the recent past. I believe that the right kind of safety training and equipment could have prevented this fatality. The Minnesota Section of AWWA Safety Committee wants to assist you in making “ Safety – Job #1 ” for all water operators.
Safety training should encompass all job hazards expected in the workplace. A good safety program starts with a needs assessment that identifies and analyzes job hazards. The next step is to determine the training that is required and develop an appropriate training plan. Initial safety training for new operators is essential and should be reinforced on-the-job by co-workers and cautions should be included in all operation/instruction manuals.
The attached table identifies safety topics that should be covered by an effective safety training program. The supervisor must also be certain to maintain training records that will meet state OSHA standards and other reporting requirement. A final element in a successful training program requires follow-up with operators to ensure that they are both satisfied and challenged by the safety training.