Imported post
The most valuable lesson I learnt was not to be complacent.It it's the little things that have little/no perceived consequence that you foolishly dismiss as routine that will go dreadfully wrong,awfully quickly and kill you...or someone else.
I got a job with a firm doing inspections/surveys on swimming pools for the HSE guidelines.Any remedial works needed after the initial survey,either from a safety perspective or a general repair was then carried out by ourselves.
Now I'd been working in "civils"for the last 6 monts in black contaminated water and often in OH environments,to work in gin clear water,at no relative depth was a laugh,esp as I'd brought one of my mates Tony to the job from my previous work.
We'd done a survey on a pool down South somewhere,a newish "feature pool"with waves,white water channel etc.The outlets for the wave machine were set back in the shallow end of the pool in an oblong shaped recess which ran approx 4 feet back(from the edge,under the poolside)and about 10 feet in length.To keep people out of this "cavern" and away from the outlets there was a SS system of vertical bars,quite thick(wrist thickness),welded to a flat frame thus bolted to the pool structure.At one end was an access feature/gate,basically a flush fit panel about 20 inches wide,bolted in.
The day we did the survey a kiddie had got his arm trapped in the grate/bars(he was OK),after that,the survey was virtually an added formality,the HSE closed the pool until the gaps in the bars were made small enough so as not to provide an entrapment danger to the smallest arm.We were to carry out the work on behalf of the local authority which would then be inspected by the HSE before the pool could re-open(nice to know that somewhere,somebody is getting something done!).
Simply put,the solution was to put SS close weave mesh over the bar/grille assembly and secure it firmly.This would allow virtually unimpeded water flow through it but was small enough even for babies fingers not to pass through.
We worked through the day and well into the night and were pretty tired towards the end.The access panel was removed so that we could secure the mesh from the back,while we did this the surface crew covered the access gate with mesh too.
Tony and I were doing the wet work,we were, in hindsight very complacent,given what we'd been doing previously it's very hard for people to comprehend just how easy these conditions were to work in by comparison.
All the pool work was done(quite legally)on SCUBA,even work in restricted environments eg.under pool floors.We'd got used to this(often doing 18hr days,not unusually 8 of which could be in the water doing repetiitive work)classic over familiarisation conditions.We could get a few hours from a single and breathed them right down to empty,stood up(or surfaced)and merely got another one,no problems.
We'd put the mesh on,but were concerned that where it was secured along the edge the gate sat on it was to proud.We lowered the gate but could'nt grip it properly to slide it into place for a trial fit.The gate itself was quite a tight fit anyway and had to be aligned exactly before it would slide into it's space,we messed about with it then Tony took hold of it from the back.
This is where the little bulb starts to flicker in your head,work closely with anyone in demanding conditions long enough(not just diving)and you know automatically what they're up to.I "knew" he planned to hold the back of the gate and back into the reccess with it to test it's fit.He looked at me ,nodded,and I shook my head.He checked his contents guage and had enough for a few minutes more(well into the red,under 50,but more than enough.....)nodded more vigourously, and the hand signal(perhaps one you did'nt get taught)lead me to beleive that he was fine with the idea and would be OK to quickly try it,whatever I thought about it.While I was still pondering it as folly but also desperately trying to find a credible alternative to give him no reason to do so,he backed in(a couple of steps)and pulled the gate in with him.
It fitted really well,it was,even though I say so myself a nice job.
It would'nt budge.Even if we could have talked there were no(maybe one or two)words to be uttered.I looked at him,he back and his eyes alone said an awful lot.We turned again to the gate,as is often the case,there was no visible reason for it to be stuck but it was,incredibly so.
I knew that time was going by,I could'nt pass him more air,even via another reg as the mesh was to fine.I could'nt rip it off as it was to well secured,same for trying to bash my way in and it would take to long to cut my way in given the tools we had.There was no way either I could get air into his little recess to trap against the roof due to the mesh either.He was goosed,I saw it and so did he.We tried patiently again to remove the gate to no avail then I'd had enough.I could picture myself in court and at a coroner's inquest and did'nt fancy it much.I stood up(so surreal a moment)spat my gag out and asked for a lump hammer.
The surface crew(all divers too)saw it,whatever it was, immediately and gave me a hammer,no questions to be asked,they'd know that I'd have told them if there had been time,in any case they'd probably worked it out anyway.Even the pool/council representatives picked up the atmosphere as I sank back down.Tony was still patiently trying to ease the gate back out but was very low on air,he began to do an angry impression of a Gorilla in a zoo and I attacked the gate edges with the hammer.I was aware that I might wedge it in place even harder but had no option,suddenly,after a combined but fraught attack it came out and dropped on the bottom.
Tony follwed,rapidly,and we stood up,he was in fact"dry",I don't know for how long but I tried his gag later and it was all over.We leaned on the side in silence except for some deep braeths and he said,
"You Bastard,you tried to kill me"
I looked at him and really could'nt be bothered arguing,we just started laughing,something the surface crew could appreciate but funnily enough the council reps and pool staff could'nt.
A supervisor told me once that every time we put our heads under water we're risking out lives.That night we got our wake up call,after all,from one bad extreme to another easy one,what could possibly go wrong?
Take care all,Hobby.
