UHP Water Cutter
Risk Assessment of the Water Cutter
Early in the development of the Water Cutter it was identified that a number of operational and environmental risks needed to be addressed before it could be considered economically and environmentally acceptable.
The Australian/New Zealand standard for risk management (AS/NZS 4360:1999) provides a structured framework for considering risk under the following headings.
- Establish the Context
- Identify the Risks
- Analyse the Risks
- Evaluate the Risks
- Treat the Risks
Fulton Hogan's R&D Group uses these key elements to assess new initiatives such as the Water Cutter.
The main areas of initial concern regarding the development of a Water Cutter were:
- Disposal of the waste product
- Fuel consumption
- Maintaining the integrity of the road surface
- Operator safety
The major environmental risks were the disposal of the waste product and minimising fuel consumption.
