RISK ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN TERMS OF WORK SAFETY IN THE DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Abstract

Water treatment plants are the most important facilities used to provide potable water to settlements and to clean water. These facilities raise water quality to the desired standards physically, bacteriologically and chemically. A conventional drinking water treatment plant consists of aeration, coagulation, flocculation, settling, filtration and disinfection units. Each of these units has its own hazards. For this reason, if adequate safety precautions are not taken, the possibility of plant employees to be exposed to these hazards will be quite high. Risks arise as a result of exposure to hazards in every workplace. It is important to analyze these risks and determine the precautionary priorities and to ensure health and safety in the workplace. In this study, the hazards that employees may be exposed to in a drinking water treatment plant in the Eastern Black Sea region were determined. All the units of the facility were examined and all risks that would affect the employees and the working order of the facility were calculated with the matrix method. After the risk levels have been determined, in the study the risks named as unacceptable and as to be considered are presented and the precautions to be taken in the facility are listed in order to be protected from these risks. As a result of the study, the importance of personal protection measures and safety culture, especially collective protection measures, was emphasized for the employees in such workplaces containing complex units.