Gas test at locks

On a Birmingham Canal Navigations Society Explorer cruise yesterday, and arriving at Walsall Top Lock we  were informed of a problem at Lock 5 with a jammed bottom paddle.

There were 28 boats in the cruise due at Walsall Town arm above the problem in the flight writes Kevin McNiff.

Unjammed

British Waterways attended, and said they'd have to drain the lower pound to investigate, and having done so the paddle was unjammed, so off we go.

Great! Ah, but we were told that first they have to check on its condition in case there is a further problem—great too—but only when the man has arrived from Birmingham with a gas detector. Doh!

More regulations

Advice from the HSE regarding Confined Spaces Regulations (1997) call for a robust risk assessment when working in areas where there are risks from toxic vapours or lack of oxygen. It seems that the Elf 'n Safety ejits at British Waterways have written a safe system of work that requires a gas detector check whenever a paddle culvert needs work.

So, being at the BCN, I was going to offer to nip into a pet shop in Walsall for a canary—two million miners relied on them!

All's well that ends well—we got down before a planned stoppage to
replace the paddle today. It was shattered beyond repair.