– This is just one of many security measures. And the feedback from the employees has been exclusively positive. After all, we want them to feel safe at work. That’s what general manager of AS Oscar Sundquist, Áigin Bakkehaug, says. – We must not engage in activities that are dangerous. If any of the employees feel unsafe at work, this is something we address before we move on, says Bakkehaug. The company, based in Sør-Varanger, is currently doing a safety job for Statkraft on the dam connected to the Båtsvatn power plant. The power plant is located at Kobbvatnet in Narvik municipality in Nordland county. It is in winter that the water level is lowest. Therefore, the work must be done now. Despite the fact that the danger of race is great. AS Oscar Sundquist is well satisfied with the follow-up they have received from Statkraft and NGI. Photo: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute – Used to a bit of weather Statkraft states that there are several areas at the power plant that are steeper than 30 degrees. They believe that the contractor can safely work with a 50-tonne excavator in the area, but that moving on foot can be very dangerous. Right now, varsom.no has a danger warning for three in the Narvik area. There they advise people to avoid terrain steeper than 30 degrees. – There are a number of weather and landslide challenges related to the project. And we are 27 kilometers from the nearest house. But in collaboration with Statkraft and NGI, we get a continuous landslide assessment. It works very well, says Bakkehaug, and adds: – We feel safe. After all, we are from northern Norway and are therefore used to working when there is a lot of weather and wind. Statkraft has established a mobile network in the area where AS Oscar Sundquist currently works. This leads to increased safety for everyone traveling in the area in the future. Photo: AS Oscar Sundquist Receives daily updates The Sør-Varanger company has 100 employees. 20 of these carry out work on the dam project in Narvik. Statkraft’s project manager, Abha Dudhraj, writes in an email to news that they are focusing on health, environment and safety (HSE). The objective is that no one should be injured in the workplace. “Statkraft carries out a risk assessment on all its projects before the start of the project. The risk of landslides has been identified as one of the biggest risks associated with the Båtsvatn project,” explains Dudhraj. Senior specialist in snow and rock avalanches at NGI, Christian Jaedicke, has been engaged by Statkraft to assist in the protection work. – There are several places along the road and by the dam where avalanches can occur, confirms Jaedicke. NGI has carried out mapping, risk analyzes and personnel training. They also carry out avalanche warnings so that the work can be carried out at an acceptable level. – We give the contractor a daily update with hit probability for the road and the exposed areas at the facility. According to this, various measures can be implemented. Such as creating areas where it is forbidden to stay in the event of an increase in the risk of avalanches. AS Oscar Sundquist works all year round at the Båtsvatn dam. Darkness and the risk of avalanches do not stop the project. Photo: AS Oscar Sundquist – We know that the danger and the risk are there Recently, there has been a significant risk of avalanches in large parts of northern Norway. In the area where the work is in progress, several orange avalanche warnings have been sent out this winter. This means that avalanches can break loose on their own in loamy areas with fresh pack snow. Áigin Bakkehaug says that, based on the collaboration with NGI and Statkraft, they do not fear that their employees are in danger of being caught by avalanches. But they are not naive. – We know that the danger and the risk are there, especially when there is a lot of snow, says Bakkehaug. Seven tips to avoid avalanches 1. Read the avalanche warning for your area. Find out what the different degrees of danger and avalanche problems mean for you when traveling in avalanche terrain. Also read the text “landslide problem” for each warning. It gives more information than just the number. 2. Plan your trip at home. Plan your trip according to weather and snow conditions, and the tour group’s level of experience and knowledge. At the start of the trip, you must also assess whether local snow conditions are different from what you expected. Make a new assessment if the answer is yes. 3. Pay attention to the danger signs of avalanches that nature gives you: fresh avalanches, cracks in the snow surface, drifting from the snow cover under stress. 4. Have good traffic routines. If you have to walk in an avalanche-prone area, do it one at a time or keep a good distance from each other. Stop or wait only in places where you cannot trigger an avalanche, and where you cannot be caught by an avalanche from above. The main rule is to avoid driving in avalanche terrain, i.e. terrain that is steeper than 30 degrees. 5. Be able to recognize avalanche-prone terrain. Where can landslides occur, and how far can landslides go? 6. Always makes well-thought-out road choices. Ask yourself the question “why can I travel here”? 7. Bring the right equipment. When driving in the vicinity of avalanche terrain, you must always have a transmitter or receiver on your body, as well as a search stand, shovel and first aid equipment in your rucksack. Practice using the equipment before you go on a trip. Source: Red Cross. Working with an avalanche detector on the body Preventive measures have not only been introduced at the facility. The employees of AS Oscar Sundquist have also been trained in what to do in the event of an avalanche. – The crews have been on a course to learn how to handle this type of incident. Among other things, we have gone through the routines and had a rescue exercise. This is to teach the employees how to rescue someone from an avalanche, says Bakkehaug. Project manager Abha Dudhraj further states that those working in the area must always be equipped with safety equipment. Everyone must have an avalanche beacon on their body. The search rod and spade must also be close at hand. – And all work in avalanche-prone terrain is stopped when the avalanche danger is high. Or when the weather makes evacuation impossible. There is an avalanche-prone terrain around the Båtsvatn dam. The employees of AS Oscar Sundquist have experienced what it is like to search the area in the dark. Photo: Christian Jaedicke More rehabilitation projects Abha Dudhraj writes in an e-mail to news that they are currently also planning further rehabilitations. “We are in the process of planning the rehabilitation of several of our dam facilities connected to power plants in Røssåga and Rana. Our dam facilities are subject to ongoing reassessment in accordance with the Dam Safety Regulations. And we are planning a rehabilitation and upgrade in line with this” Managing director of AS Oscar Sundquist, Áigin Bakkehaug, says that there are few large projects in Eastern Finnmark at the moment. That is why they have now changed their ways and have the whole of Northern Norway as their catchment area. – We will continue with dam projects and other complicated projects, whether they are at a height of one thousand or five metres. We think this is fun, says Áigin Bakkehaug.
ttn-69
– We know that the danger and the risk are there – news Troms and Finnmark
