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Safety around effluent ponds is essential. In general the Health and Safety in Employment Act (1992) rules bear on ponds’ operation rather than their design and construction, so they affect the pond owner more than the designer or builder.
The following safety features are recommended for all ponds regardless of size or type of lining:
Fencing - All ponds should be fenced with netting to keep stock and children out of the pond.
Escape ladders - All ponds should have at least one permanently placed ladder or alternative escape means.
Anchor points - Pontoons should have anchor points to improve stability.
Hazards must be signed and people – farm staff, contractors and visitors – told about the dangers.
Safety is also a key during pond construction; supervising engineers have some health and safety responsibility for construction workers during construction.
Preventing injury by accidentally falling into the pond is the main concern under the Act.
Got your effluent WOF?
The dairy effluent ‘warrant of fitness’ (WoF) is a voluntary programme assessing your effluent system.
It helps farmers understand how to keep a system fit for purpose and capable of being compliant 365 days a year.
A dairy effluent ‘WOF’ looks at your farm’s effluent consent or permitted rules: are all requirements being met?
It views the nutrient budget and checks nitrogen loadings, and runs the dairy effluent storage calculator to estimate if there is enough storage for the farm effluent system.
Checks are done over the storage facility for signs of possible risk areas; all catchment areas, particularly stand-offs, feedpads and underpasses, are also inspected.
The application depth and rate of the irrigation system are also looked at and it identifies the hazards and notes general health and safety requirements.
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