How to Write a Water Safety Plan for Construction Projects in WA
If your construction project involves work over or near water in Western Australia, you are required under WA work health and safety legislation to have a documented water safety plan. Many project managers and HSE teams are unsure exactly what this plan needs to include or how to put one together that is genuinely compliant and effective.
This guide walks through the key components of a water safety plan for construction projects in WA.
Why a generic safety plan is not enough
A common mistake is treating water safety as a sub-section of a broader working at height or general construction safety plan. Working over water introduces specific hazards — drowning, hypothermia, current and tidal movement, and the difficulty of retrieving a casualty — that require dedicated planning. A compliant water safety plan must be specific to your site, your activities, and the particular water environment you are working in.
Step 1 — Identify the water-related hazards on your site
Start by identifying every hazard related to the water environment at your specific site. This includes:
The type of water body (tidal, river, dam, open ocean, port)
Current, tide, and water movement patterns
Water depth and seabed conditions
Water temperature and the risk of hypothermia
Visibility conditions, both above and below the waterline
Marine traffic and vessel movement in the area
Step 2 — Identify the work-related hazards that intersect with water
Next, identify the specific work activities that create a risk of a worker entering the water. This might include scaffolding erection, rope access work, crane and rigging operations, pile driving, diving operations, or general work at height adjacent to water.
For each activity, consider how a worker could end up in the water — through a fall, equipment failure, structural failure, or medical incident — and what condition they might be in if it happens.
Step 3 — Determine your control measures
For each identified hazard, determine the control measures that will eliminate or minimise the risk. This typically includes a hierarchy of controls:
Elimination or substitution — Can the work be done in a way that removes the need to work over water?
Engineering controls — Guardrails, edge protection, and fall prevention systems
Administrative controls — Safe work procedures, permits, and exclusion zones
Personal protective equipment — Personal flotation devices for all workers in the at-risk zone
Step 4 — Plan your rescue response
This is the component most often missing or inadequate in construction safety plans. Your water safety plan must clearly document:
How a worker in the water — conscious or unconscious — will be retrieved
The rescue equipment available on site, including any standby rescue vessel
The qualifications of personnel responsible for the rescue response
The maximum acceptable response time for a rescue to be initiated
Communication procedures between work crews and rescue personnel
Procedures for escalating to emergency services if required
For most construction environments over water, a standby rescue vessel is the most effective rescue response measure, particularly in confined marine environments such as jetties, wharves, and bridge structures.
Step 5 — Document training and drills
Your plan should specify what training workers will receive, and document a schedule for mock rescue drills to be conducted with site personnel before works commence and at appropriate intervals throughout the project.
Step 6 — Maintain records
A water safety plan is only effective if it is actively used and maintained. Keep records of:
Daily safety briefings referencing the water safety plan
Mock rescue drill records
Any incidents or near misses involving the water environment
Reviews and updates to the plan as site conditions change
Getting help with your water safety plan
Developing a genuinely effective water safety plan requires an understanding of both the regulatory requirements and the practical realities of rescue response on your specific site. Hardy Seas works with project managers and HSE teams across Western Australia to develop site-specific water safety plans, provide standby rescue vessel services, and conduct mock rescue drills with site personnel.
Get in touch with Hardy Seas to discuss your project and we can help you put together a water safety plan that is both compliant and genuinely effective.
