“I can see an escalation in this problem,’’ Vedachalam said. “We have the problem of an aging workforce and older generations that have a lot of experience are retiring. It’s a challenge recruiting people for these jobs. They are riskier than typical desk jobs. As more and more climate disasters happen, water utilities are at the frontlines of addressing these challenges. Workers need to be adequately prepared to work longer hours under challenging conditions to fix a broken main or leaking sewage or address flooding in the utility building.” Solutions, big and small, can help decrease the risk of injury to workers. The climate crisis, however, demands that those solutions be Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics illustrates the dangers faced by workers at water treatment plants. The Bureau reports that for every 100 employees in the water and sewage industry, 5.3 employees suffer injuries. More than 3 out of every 100 employees were injured severely enough to cause them to miss work, require a job transfer or restrict job duties. Workers face several hazards. They routinely walk on storage tanks, elevated surfaces, vehicles, and roofs. There are other dangers as well. In 2022, an employee with the Middletown Sewage Authority in New Jersey, John Molnar, died after he descended into a manhole and became disoriented by lack of oxygen. He drowned in water at the bottom of the hole. Attempts by employees to pull him out failed. A state agency fined the sewage treatment plant $168,000 for safety violations at the plant. implemented soon. Frequent Problem Last year, a construction worker in Pennsylvania fell through a roof and into an empty storage tank at the Ephrata Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant. Roy Bautista, 35, died a week after the fall of multiple traumatic injuries. Roofing is even more dangerous for falls than wastewater treatment plants. Roofers die at close to twice the average rate of all US construction workers, with 29.9 deaths for every 1,000 full-time workers. Sadly, many falls in both industries can be reduced by simply following regulations. The Occupation Safety and Health Administration reports that basic fall protection regulations are the most often violated and ignored. “It’s frustrating,’’ said Tico Jimenez, President of Haven Fall Protection in Pennsylvania. “A lot of times it’s because people are trying to cut corners. You’re trying to make that fast buck for the day, and it ends up not working out that way.” Improving Safety One popular safety choice at many wastewater treatment plants is BILCO’s fall protection grating for floor access doors. The system provides a permanent means of fall protection under access doors and exceeds OSHA fall protection requirements. They include a stainless steel automatic hold open device that securely locks the panel in the
Fall protection grates are frequently used at wastewater treatment plants to protect workers. Photo credit: Jenn Bakker / Breathtakingmomentsphotography.com
More than 5 workers out of every 100 at water treatment plants suffer injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Photo credit: Charlie Fernandes
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