Taking water samples from a river, driving in remote locations and a myriad of other activities that could be part of a WQM program need to be assessed from an OH&S perspective. Employers, managers/supervisors and workers all have responsibilities regarding the health and safety and themselves and co-workers. Work conducted on a WQM program needs to meet current OH&S requirements.

All Councils will have an OH&S Policy and associated workplace procedures. Whether these procedures are in the form of a simple written document or a more complex Integrated Management System, they should be consulted when developing your WQM program. If you need assistance, contact your OH&S Officer for advice.

For any WQM program there should be documented hazard identification and risk management procedures covering sampling and laboratory analysis in particular. All personnel involved in these activities need to be familiar with these procedures and able to implement them. If contractors such as laboratories or consultants are used, they should provide council with information on their OH&S policies and procedures. An example of hazard identification and associated risk minimisation measures can be found on the link to the right.

There are some guidelines already in existence which cover OH&S issues for specific WQM activities, namely:

• field sampling and laboratory analysis
• recreational water quality monitoring
• community monitoring

Some further detail about these guidelines follow.

The Australian Guidelines for Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting 2000 discuss OH&S issues related to field sampling (Section 4.7) and laboratory analysis (Section 5.6). OH&S considerations for a WQM program include:

• Legislative requirements
• Identification of hazards
• Education about hazards
• Risk minimisation plans

The Beachwatch Partnership Program’s Draft Information Package and Field Manual outlines some of the hazards that may be encountered during a recreational water quality monitoring program and suggests some ways in which these risks may be controlled, including a summary table (pages 31-33). The Risk Management Office of the University of Sydney has produced detailed Fieldwork Safety Guidelines that include information relevant to WQM sampling activities.