Working Near or Over Water

According to OSHA, employees working over or near water, where the danger of drowning exists, shall be provided with U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket or buoyant work vests (referred to as Personal Floatation Devices or PFDs).

OSHA does not specify a minimum depth of water where a drowning danger could exist. There are circumstances where a drowning hazard could exist when a worker is near or over water that is less than two feet in depth.

If a worker tripped and fell over an underwater hazard, he or she could get knocked unconscious and drown. Or, if a worker was working at a height over a body of water but not using fall protection, he or she could fall, become injured, and drown.

Another issue that OSHA considers when workers are working on or near water is if a worker is using a fall protection system.

If continuous fall protection is used to prevent employees from falling into water, OSHA considers the drowning hazard as removed; life jackets or buoyant work vests are not needed.

Fall protection can be active (such as a harness) or passive, like railings or nets that meet OSHA specifications.

To learn more about Water Safety & Drowning Hazards visit our Water Safety & Drowning Hazards Online Training web page.