ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case involving a so-called run-of-river hydropower project (HPP). Dam breaks represent the single largest potential for major accidents in HPP. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates the fatal accident risk in construction to be five times the average fatal accident risk among employees worldwide. Accidents involving misfire of explosives, tunnel fire, and rock fall during excavation of tunnels and caverns also have multiple fatality potential. The chapter focuses on the construction phase, where the gross majority of the work exposure occurs. The construction of the David HPP takes three years and employs in average of 1500 construction workers. The concept study phase is critical in offshore oil and gas developments but of less significance in hydropower developments because the concept is decided mainly by the hydrology and topography in the area. The management of HSE is an integral part of the owner's phase model for project management.
