36 Outcome 4: Environmental Hazards
Outcome/Competency: You will be able to describe environmental hazards.
Timing: 4h50
Rationale:
Why is it important for you to learn this skill?
Being able to accurately identify and describe environmental hazards can help you adjust your work and behavior to match the environment you are in. This will help keep you safe from environmental hazards and ensure you mitigate the chance for severe injury or death, and mitigate the damage we do to the environment.
Objectives:
To be competent in this area, the individual must be able to:
- Identify and describe environmental hazards and ways to mitigate.
Learning Goals
- Identify and describe environmental hazards and ways to mitigate.
Introduction
This section will cover basic information and mitigation strategies for the following environmental hazards: oil spills, fire conditions, environmentally sensitive areas, wildlife and habitat, birds, native grasslands, heritage resources, spills and releases, and surface water. There will be pass/fail quizzes throughout to confirm understanding.
Instructions:
- Cover the following content in each topic as a group (either reading out loud or independently) then give an opportunity to answer any questions.
- Have students do the review questions independently, then take up answers.
Topic: Oil Spills (5m)
Oil spills can happen due to equipment failure. Heavy equipment being used to work on powerlines can blow seals or hoses causing an oil spill. Another example of a piece of equipment that can produce an oil spill is a transformer. Most transformers contain oil. Transformers can also have seals that leak, though this is rare. The most common reason for transformers to discharge oil is due to a lightning strike or an accident in which the transformer is physically damaged causing it to leak.
When an oil spill is encountered it is very important to contain the spill if safe to do so and notify the proper people immediately.
Topic: Fire Conditions (5m)
Fire conditions can exist anywhere at any time although less likely in the winter. It is important to reference the provincial fire risk map frequently as these maps change as conditions can change rapidly in terms of wildfire risk.
++Care must always be taken when working in fire sensitive areas. Points to consider when working in fire sensitive areas may include mufflers on vehicles in tall grass, any metal inadvertently dragging on road surface causing sparks and cigarette disposal.
Below is a chart of examples of ignition sources and ways to prevent.
Topic: Wildlife and Habitat (5m)
When constructing power lines, wildlife and habitat can be affected by traffic, noise, light, environmental pollutants, and inadvertent litter. Wildlife mating, foraging, and other daily activities may be disturbed by stress. Prior to construction preliminary screening process must be completed by an environmental monitor and reported to the SaskPower Environmental Department to be submitted to the