Machine Guarding Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants

⁠⁠⁠Hunter Water owns nineteen Wastewater Treatment Plants and 6 Water Treatment Plants. At these facilities, there are various items of moving and rotating machinery whose inherent design creates safety risks which need to be managed.

A guarding audit was carried out across all the treatment plants, which identified multiple hazards relating to guarding, using AS4024 Safety of Machinery (2006) as a guide. Inadequate guarding of machinery escalates risks to safety of personnel working near the machines, and possible injuries could range from minor first aid injuries to permanent disability.

Hunter Water has developed concept designs for guarding deficiencies. This process has included consulting with all stakeholders in accordance with the WHS Act 2011, WHS Regulations 2011 and Codes of Practice.