Ontario Power Generation Hydroelectric Station Safety Brochure

Due to their possible liability, and due to fatalities that have occured, Ontario Power Generation has a publicity campaign to warn people about the dangers of hydroelectric dams and stations.

We understand that perhaps these warnings may have been intended for larger stations, narrower rivers, or that perhaps the proposed power station would never be operated remotely or automatically, but right now, we don’t know.

Firstly, in the poster above, note the many warning signs – not a pretty, or comforting sight!

Next is some text, copied directly from from OPG’s Stay Safe, Stay Clear brochure.

• Dams and hydroelectric stations are not recreation areas. Be wise not to treat hydroelectric facilities as fishing holes, boating areas or swimming areas. These areas are not safe for any recreational activities, including camping, picnicking or even winter activities such as snowmobiling or cross-country skiing.
• Stay Clear, Stay Safe, around dams, hydroelectric stations and surrounding waterways.
• Stay out of dry or calm riverbeds below dams. They can quickly change into rapidly flowing waterways with dangerous currents
• Stay a safe distance outside of warning signs, buoys, booms and barriers and be alert for changes in water levels.
• remotely-operated dam gates can quickly turn calm waters or dry riverbeds into dangerous flows.
• Getting too close to dams and hydroelectric stations is always dangerous. A spot that seems calm and safe one moment can turn into a dangerous surge of rising and fast-flowing water – quickly and often without any warning.
• Our operators can’t see you: Most facilities are remotely-controlled by operators many kilometers away. They open or close dams, to manage river flows, and start or stop generators throughout the day and night as demand for electricity rises and falls.
• This may result in frequent, rapid and dangerous changes in water levels and flows, changes that can harm those who venture too close.
• In areas above and below dams, fast-moving water creates dangerous turbulence and strong undercurrents which are not always apparent from the calm looking surface waters.
• BE ALERT: Even if you can’t see a generating station or dam, waterways upstream and downstream can still be affected by their operations. It’s important to be aware of the potential dangers caused by changing flows, and stay clear of waters near stations and dams.
• Don’t find yourself on thin ice: Winter brings more dangers. Ice forming near a dam or hydroelectric station can be thinner and less consistent than ice in other locations because of changing water flows beneath it.
• Avoid snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, skating or ice fishing on rivers or lakes near dams and generating stations.
• Don’t risk walking onto a river or lake around dams and generating stations where the ice may be thin due to the current. Changing water levels can crack the ice, leaving it weak and unstable.
• Please respect the hazards near our dams and stations, and obey all warning signs, booms, buoys, and barriers. They are there for your protection.