BlueSafe
Water Safety Risk Assessment

Water Safety Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Water Safety Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Water Safety through a structured, management-level Risk Assessment that supports planning, policy, training, equipment selection and safe systems of work. This document helps demonstrate Due Diligence under the WHS Act, minimises organisational exposure to operational liability, and supports robust WHS Risk Management across all water-related activities.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, WHS Duties and Legal Compliance: Assessment of officer due diligence, allocation of WHS responsibilities, consultation arrangements and integration of water safety into organisational governance frameworks.
  • Water Risk Planning and Site Selection: Evaluation of site selection criteria, pre-use assessments, access and egress planning, and strategic controls for high-risk water locations.
  • Environmental and Weather Risk Management: Management of tides, currents, swell, flooding, storms, heat, cold and visibility, including procedures for weather monitoring and activity cancellation thresholds.
  • Water Body Characterisation and Bathymetric Risk: Assessment of depth changes, submerged hazards, drop-offs, entrapment points, sediment, water flow and structural interfaces such as jetties, pontoons and culverts.
  • Drowning and Fall-Into-Water Risk Management: Controls for edge protection, working platforms, lifejackets and buoyancy aids, access systems, safe work distances and recovery strategies to minimise drowning risk.
  • Work Near Water with Electrical Equipment: Management of electrical shock and electrocution risks, including equipment selection, IP ratings, RCD protection, inspection, isolation and emergency response protocols.
  • Plant, Vehicles and Equipment Interfaces with Water: Assessment of mobile plant, vessels, vehicles and machinery operating near or on water, including stability, loading, traffic management and interaction with pedestrians and workers.
  • Worker Competency, Training and Induction for Water Safety: Requirements for competency standards, licences, water-awareness training, rescue skills, induction content and verification of competency processes.
  • Supervision, Monitoring and Worker Fitness for Work: Protocols for supervision ratios, buddy systems, fatigue and impairment management, medical and swimming capability considerations, and ongoing monitoring of worker condition.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Recovery: Planning for water rescues, retrieval methods, first aid and CPR capability, equipment readiness, drills, coordination with emergency services and post-incident management.
  • Communication, Navigation and Remote Location Management: Management of communication systems, GPS and navigation aids, lone and remote work procedures, check-in systems and escalation pathways.
  • Contractor and Visitor Management at Water Sites: Controls for briefing, authorisation, supervision and monitoring of contractors, volunteers and visitors, including access restrictions and information provision.
  • Health, Hygiene and Water Quality Management: Assessment of contamination, biological hazards, waterborne illness, chemical exposure, personal hygiene facilities and monitoring of water quality parameters.
  • Documentation, Reporting and Continuous Improvement: Systems for recording risk assessments, inspections, training, incidents, corrective actions and periodic review to ensure continual improvement in water safety management.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, PCBU representatives, Safety Managers and Operations Leaders responsible for planning, approving and overseeing work activities in, on or near water.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Duties and Legal Compliance
  • • Lack of clear allocation of WHS duties relating to water safety under WHS Act 2011
  • • Inadequate knowledge of applicable standards, codes of practice and local waterway regulations
  • • Failure to integrate water safety into the organisation’s WHS management system
  • • No documented water safety policy or procedure for work near rivers, ponds and other water bodies
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers and Health and Safety Representatives on water‑related risks
2. Water Risk Planning and Site Selection
  • • Inadequate pre‑planning of work locations near rivers, ponds, dams, tidal areas or stormwater infrastructure
  • • Selection of work sites with unsafe access to water edges, steep banks or unstable ground
  • • Failure to consider historical flood levels, currents, tides and seasonal variations in water depth
  • • Lack of contingency planning for changing water conditions or sudden weather events
  • • Insufficient consideration of isolation, access for emergency services and egress routes
3. Environmental and Weather Risk Management
  • • Uncontrolled exposure to rapidly changing weather conditions affecting water levels and flow rates
  • • Failure to monitor rainfall, storm activity, flood warnings and tidal information
  • • Wind, waves or wake from passing vessels destabilising workers near the water edge
  • • Heat stress, cold exposure or hypothermia reducing worker capacity to self‑rescue
  • • Poor visibility due to fog, low light or glare increasing risk of slips or falls into water
4. Water Body Characterisation and Bathymetric Risk
  • • Limited knowledge of water depth, sudden drop‑offs or submerged hazards in rivers, ponds and dams
  • • Unassessed strength of currents, undertows, rips or hydraulic features near structures and inlets
  • • Unknown water quality, contamination or biological hazards that may impede rescue or recovery
  • • Unstable or eroding embankments near shallow water creating collapse or slip hazards
  • • Failure to identify stormwater inlets, culverts, siphons or other hydraulic structures that can entrain workers
5. Drowning and Fall‑Into‑Water Risk Management
  • • Uncontrolled falls into shallow or deeper water from banks, edges, platforms or temporary works
  • • Lack of systematic controls for work within close proximity to water edges
  • • No formal policy on the use of personal flotation devices (PFDs) and fall‑prevention systems
  • • Reliance on worker behaviour rather than engineered or managed controls
  • • Inadequate supervision of new or young workers near water bodies
6. Work Near Water with Electrical Equipment
  • • Electric shock or electrocution from powered tools, lighting or plant used near water
  • • Inadequate segregation between electrical sources and water bodies
  • • Use of incorrect IP‑rated equipment for wet or damp locations
  • • Failure of RCDs, portable power boards or isolation systems due to lack of testing or maintenance
  • • Uncontrolled energisation of fixed electrical installations near jetties, pontoons, pumps or aerators
7. Plant, Vehicles and Equipment Interfaces with Water
  • • Mobile plant or vehicles unintentionally rolling or sliding into water due to inadequate separation or ground stability
  • • Poorly planned use of cranes, EWP, pumps or generators adjacent to water
  • • Lack of engineered stop blocks, wheel stops or barriers between plant movement paths and water edges
  • • Uncontrolled refuelling or maintenance activities near water contaminating water bodies and creating slip hazards
  • • Inadequate procedures for recovery of plant that becomes bogged or partially submerged
8. Worker Competency, Training and Induction for Water Safety
  • • Workers lacking awareness of drowning risks, hydraulics and local water conditions
  • • Insufficient training in water‑specific emergency response and self‑rescue principles
  • • New workers or contractors not adequately inducted to site‑specific water hazards
  • • Assumptions about swimming ability without verification or assessment of relevant competence
  • • No ongoing refresher training for supervisors managing teams near water bodies
9. Supervision, Monitoring and Worker Fitness for Work
  • • Inadequate supervision levels for higher‑risk activities near water
  • • Failure to detect fatigue, impairment or medical conditions that may increase drowning risk
  • • Workers undertaking lone work near water without adequate oversight
  • • Complacency leading to non‑compliance with water safety rules and exclusion zones
  • • Limited management visibility of after‑hours or unscheduled work near water bodies
10. Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Recovery
  • • Lack of a documented emergency response plan for water incidents, including near‑drowning and electrocution
  • • Insufficient rescue equipment such as throw lines, poles, ladders or rescue boards at water‑adjacent sites
  • • Workers untrained in safe rescue techniques leading to multiple casualties
  • • Delayed emergency services response due to poor location information or access constraints
  • • Inadequate post‑incident debriefing, investigation and psychological support
11. Communication, Navigation and Remote Location Management
  • • Inability to raise assistance promptly when working near remote or isolated water bodies
  • • Poor mobile coverage or unreliable communication systems at river or pond sites
  • • Workers becoming disoriented or lost when working around large water bodies or floodplains
  • • No documented journey management or check‑in system for remote water work
  • • Lack of accurate mapping and signage identifying designated safe access points and hazards
12. Contractor and Visitor Management at Water Sites
  • • Contractors undertaking work near water without alignment to organisational water safety standards
  • • Visitors allowed uncontrolled access to areas adjacent to rivers, ponds or dams
  • • Inconsistent application of PPE, exclusion zones and electrical safety controls between different contractors
  • • Inadequate verification of contractor competence and emergency preparedness for water‑related risks
  • • Language or literacy barriers preventing understanding of water safety information
13. Health, Hygiene and Water Quality Management
  • • Exposure to contaminated or stagnant water leading to infection or illness
  • • Contact with chemicals, algal blooms or biological hazards present in ponds, rivers or stormwater systems
  • • Skin conditions, respiratory issues or allergic reactions from prolonged exposure to poor water quality environments
  • • Inadequate decontamination procedures after contact with water or mud
  • • Lack of health surveillance where repeated exposure to contaminated water is possible
14. Documentation, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
  • • Incomplete or inconsistent recording of water‑related hazards, incidents and near misses
  • • Failure to review and update water safety procedures following changes in legislation or site conditions
  • • Lack of trend analysis for water‑related events, preventing targeted improvements
  • • Poor document control leading to outdated water safety information being used on site
  • • No formal mechanism to capture worker feedback on effectiveness of water safety controls

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice: Guidance on safe access, amenities and environmental conditions, including work near water.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for plant and equipment used in, on or adjacent to water.
  • Safe Work Australia – First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for first aid, CPR capability and emergency equipment for water-related work.
  • AS 2416: Water safety signs and beach safety flags — Requirements for consistent water safety signage.
  • AS 4758: Lifejackets: Standards for selection, performance and maintenance of personal flotation devices.
  • AS/NZS 2299.1 (where diving activities apply): Occupational diving operations — Standard operational practice for underwater work.
  • AS/NZS 3000 (Wiring Rules): Electrical installations, including additional requirements for electrical work in damp and wet environments.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

$79.5

Safe Work Australia Aligned