OPWA Booklet I Design 2025 (4) - Flipbook - Page 11
OPERATIONS HEROES
REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF PEEL
Wastewater Flushing Device
One of the crucial things for a thriving community is to be able to provide
water and wastewater services to residents and businesses in Peel.
Keeping water and wastewater flowing ensures a safe and healthy
community and ensures compliance with environmental regulations.
Wastewater flushing is a task in our Preventive Maintenance Program
that ensures that wastewater is flowing in a normal fashion and prevents backups in the system. Having a
proactive program reduces the costs of repairs and replacement of the system, prevents damages and ensures
maximum sewer capacity.
Completing this work results in staff having to lean over open often deep maintenance holes to complete the work.
Legislation has continued to change, and Working at Height legislation was introduced and has become more
encompassing to include work completed by staff. Working in a safe manner is of the utmost importance, going
home at the end of the day is key and we need to protect our workers.
Although many safety devices exist for traditional tasks, Sanitary Sewer flushing and MH cleaning left us
susceptible to danger and injury, in working over maintenance holes from 2 m to over 20 m in depth, as well as
potential infractions with MOL due to limited devices we had available. Brent Bowden and Jeff Patrick designed,
built and implemented 2 devices to protect our operators while performing the task, using their lengthy
experiences as a guide for improvement.
• 1 is Engineered and stamped, 1 is pending stamp.
• H&S approved
The devices not only protect our workers by reducing the risk of falling, but also reduce the risk of injury due to
lifting and twisting hazards by having the fall protection mounted to the vehicles. The device can be lowered from
the vehicle to the ground remotely and opened.
The other device protects staff from falling but also allows the worker the ability to be agile and have mobility
around the manhole for themselves and for the equipment they use. The devices show innovation in how work is
completed, employee engagement and a commitment to safety by taking an idea, creating a better solution and
having it designed and engineered in house, built and approved to ensure worker safety and agility.
11 | OPWA AWARDS LUNCHEON
