How To Ensure Safety in Sanitary Infrastructure Projects
Sanitary and stormwater infrastructure work is inherently high-risk. From confined space entry and high-pressure jetting to heavy equipment operation in active roadways, every maintenance or repair project introduces a set of operational hazards that must be actively managed. Yet safety in sanitary infrastructure projects isn’t just about compliance or ticking off checklists. It’s about integrating risk management into the planning, execution, and supervision of every task, with equal attention to process and people. Here’s how:
Build safety into the work plan
Regulatory compliance is a starting point, not a finish line. Guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and state safety agencies define minimum standards for hazard identification, personal protective equipment (PPE), and permit-required confined space entry. However, sanitary infrastructure projects often take place in variable environments where weather, flow levels, and utility interferences change daily. Work plans must account for this variability in real time.
A project-level job hazard analysis (JHA) is crucial. A well-prepared JHA identifies system-specific risks, such as active influent flows, bypass requirements, street-level traffic exposure, underground utility conflicts, atmospheric hazards, and chemical contaminants in confined spaces. When the JHA is done properly, safety measures are embedded directly into task sequencing, entry procedures, and communication protocols well before the first tool is deployed.
Take confined space entry seriously every time
Routine work in confined spaces can make risk feel routine. That’s a dangerous mindset. Entry into manholes, wet wells, tanks, or valve vaults often involves oxygen-deficient atmospheres, the presence of hydrogen sulfide or methane, and the potential for rapid fluid inflow. None of these hazards are static.
Proper confined space protocols require atmospheric monitoring with calibrated multigas detectors, continuous ventilation with intrinsically safe equipment, and a designated three-person team structure. Physical retrieval systems like tripods or davit arms must be installed prior to entry, not in response to an emergency. Entry should be suspended immediately if atmospheric readings drift outside acceptable ranges. No project timeline is worth the risk of skipping or compressing these steps.
Coordinate safety across multiple teams and contractors
Complex sanitary infrastructure projects often include several contractors working simultaneously, such as bypass system installers, vacuum truck operators, and sewer cleaning crews. Without centralized coordination, it’s easy for one crew’s activity to interfere with another’s. These risks grow when crews operate under different company policies or assumptions.
To mitigate this, one entity should act as the safety coordinator for the site, establishing shared communication protocols, defining safe zones, and scheduling activities to prevent overlapping work in high-risk areas. Every worker on-site, regardless of employer, should understand and follow the same safety expectations.
Treat equipment setup as a safety-critical task
Time pressures during emergency response or overnight sanitary infrastructure maintenance and repair often lead crews to rush through equipment setup. But improper setup is one of the most preventable and consequential sources of incidents in infrastructure work.
For example, improper nozzle selection or hose anchoring during jetting operations can result in damaged pipes, personal injury, or uncontrolled backflow. Similarly, vacuum equipment placed without regard for traffic flow can increase the risk of vehicular strikes.
All equipment should be inspected and documented prior to use, with the setup reviewed against the day’s JHA to verify that the safety plan matches the conditions on the ground. Remember, setup is where many of the day’s most critical decisions are made.
Prepare for the unplanned
Even with careful planning, unplanned hazards can still emerge. Pressure buildups in manholes, equipment malfunctions, sudden rainfall, or changing flow patterns are not uncommon during sanitary infrastructure maintenance and repair work. That’s why the ability to respond quickly to unexpected hazards is a core component of infrastructure safety.
Every field crew must be equipped with accessible first-aid supplies, rescue harnesses, and emergency eyewash or decontamination stations. Emergency egress plans should be posted and reviewed before confined space entry. Communication between on-site teams and supervisors must be immediate and direct, whether through radios, mobile devices, or visual signals.
Practice is essential. Teams that conduct mock drills for confined space rescue, chemical exposure, or vehicle strikes are better prepared to act decisively. Post-incident reviews, even for minor events, help reinforce lessons and adapt safety protocols for future work.
Experience drives safe outcomes
Sanitary infrastructure projects demand more than baseline compliance. They require experience-informed, site-specific safety strategies tailored to the conditions and complexity of the job. Crews that approach safety as part of their operational planning — instead of as an isolated task — consistently deliver better results, fewer incidents, and greater continuity across projects.
At Envirowaste Services Group (EWSG), safety is not an afterthought. It’s a core value embedded in how projects are assessed, staffed, and executed. From confined space protocols to multi-crew coordination, every layer of the job is backed by experience and process discipline.
