Irrigation Install & Maintenance Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Unintended startup of pumps/valves — Apply lockout/tagout to mains, isolators, and controller outputs. Remove fuses, bypass auto schedules, and verify zero energy. Depressurise lines before work, tag controls with “men at work,” keep keys under single control, and confirm restoration is staged and announced.
• Low light and poor visibility — Provide battery or generator task lighting positioned to reduce glare. Use high-vis with retro-reflective strips, mark edges and trenches with illuminated beacons, and light plant routes. Reassess lighting after plant moves and at dusk changeover; test emergency lighting.
• Water quality and biohazards — Flush stagnant lines before work and avoid creating aerosols. Wear gloves, cover cuts, and use backflow prevention to protect potable supplies. Disinfect tools after contaminated tasks, use hand-wash facilities, and restrict eating/drinking in work zones to control ingestion risks.
• Working at height on tanks and overhead runs — Use inspected podiums or towers on level bases; forbid makeshift steps. Maintain three points of contact, secure tools, and protect edges. Exclude the drop zone below. Avoid leaning from ladders; reposition instead. Wear fall protection where specified by the task risk.
• Electrical equipment and pumps — Use RCD-protected supplies and test before use. Route leads off wet ground, maintain IP-rated enclosures and glands, and ensure correct earthing. Lock-off and verify dead before wiring controllers or pumps. Only qualified persons terminate, fault-find, and re-energise circuits.