Enel Russia specialists reminded schoolchildren about the prohibition of bathing and boating near hydraulic structures
On the eve of summer vacations the H&S specialists of PJSC Enel Russia branches together with the representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the emergency services held tutorials on water safety for the pupils of the local schools. During the lessons the children were reminded that swimming and boating near the hydraulic structures of power plants is prohibited, since it is dangerous to life.
In total more than two thousand students of different ages took part in the tutorials. At the lectures the peculiarities of locating power plants near water bodies were explained to the schoolchildren. Water is necessary for the production cycle of the enterprises, as well as to provide heat to the residents of nearby communities. Therefore, to obtain water quickly necessary for operation of the power plants, they are located on the banks of reservoirs.
Hydrotechnical facilities of HPPs are designed to supply the required amount of water for cooling of the equipment and its discharge into the reservoir. The main hydrotechnical structures at Enel Russia power plants are onshore pumping stations and discharge channels.
The water in the discharge channels is usually warmer than in other reservoirs due to the nature of the PPs’ operation, so they are popular with the swimmers and fishermen, but this kind of recreation can be fatal. There is a high rate of water flow and dangerous whirlpools at the water outlet from the channel. If a person gets caught in such a strong current, he has almost no chance to swim out.
Moreover, the slopes of discharge channels are lined with concrete, and if a person slips or stumbles and falls in the water, he is unlikely to be able to get ashore. A man becomes exhausted and drowns in the strong current of the discharge channel in a few minutes, so the rescue team has no time left to come to his aid.
Health and Safety Specialists of PJSC Enel Russia urge you to tell your children, family and friends that recreation at the hydraulic structures of power plants is dangerous to life and health, as well as to inform them what to do if they see a person who has fallen into the water of the discharge channel:
- Never jump into the water to save him!
- Call the emergency via number 112.
- Try to get the attention of adults (if children are involved).
- Wait for the rescue crew to arrive to indicate the location of the accident.