The Pinnapuram Integrated Renewable Energy Project (IREP) in Andhra Pradesh, involving solar, wind, and pumped storage components, presents several high-risk jobs during its construction and operational phases due to high-voltage electrical systems, large-scale construction, and rugged terrain.

 The Pinnapuram Integrated Renewable Energy Project (IREP) in Andhra Pradesh, involving solar, wind, and pumped storage components, presents several high-risk jobs during its construction and operational phases due to high-voltage electrical systems, large-scale construction, and rugged terrain. 

Based on typical solar and renewable energy construction hazards, here is a list of high-risk jobs for the Pinnapuram project:

Construction Phase (High Physical/Environmental Risk) 

Structural Engineers/Civil Construction Workers: Involved in building foundations for solar mounts, creating reservoirs, and working on rugged, uneven, or steep terrain.

High-Voltage Electrical Installers: Responsible for installing and connecting panels, inverters, and combiner boxes, dealing with DC systems up to 1,500 V.

Crane and Heavy Equipment Operators: Moving, hoisting, and setting up heavy machinery, trackers, and solar panels.

Underground Cable Layers & Conduit Workers: Risk of excavation hazards and working in trenches.

Geomembrane Installers: Lining the upper and lower reservoirs with high-quality geomembranes, requiring specialized handling.

Safety Inspectors/EHS Officers: Working in high-hazard areas to enforce safety standards. 

Operational & Maintenance Phase (High Electrical/Technical Risk)

Solar Maintenance Technicians: Handling potential arc flashes, electrical fires, and electrical shock hazards when servicing inverters, combiner boxes, and cleaning panels.

Grid Connection Engineers (High Voltage): Working with 400kV double-circuit transmission lines and substations.

Battery Storage System Technicians: Handling potential fire and thermal runaway risks in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

Solar Array Monitoring Technicians: Involving working at heights or in, at times, remote areas with potential for heat-related illnesses (heatstroke). 

Specific Risks at Pinnapuram Site

Electrocution: The most severe risk, with high-voltage DC components.

Falls from Heights: While installing trackers or cleaning, particularly on uneven terrain.

Animal/Wildlife Hazards: Potential for bites in remote, semi-arid regions.

Lightning Strikes: The massive metal structures make the site prone to lightning.

Weather-Related Illness: Intense heat, dehydration, and sunstroke, particularly as the site involves significant, large-scale, open-ground work.