Incidents at La Vallette sparked health and safety investigation
Health and safety investigations at the bathing pools were sparked by more than one serious incident over the past few years.
The Guernsey Press understands that it was those incidents which led to risk assessments being carried out at the Ladies’ Pool and eventually the Health & Safety Executive issuing a prohibition notice on the only remaining diving platform at La Vallette.
Politicians and leaders of a public campaign are currently looking into proposals which they hope will avert the removal of the diving platform at the end of the current one-month extension to the prohibition notice.
Sources familiar with the issues facing the States claimed that the safety concerns related primarily to the design of the Ladies’ Pool, in particular its depth, even when it is full of water.
When it was announced 10 days ago that HSE rulings would result in the speedy removal of the diving platform, the States estimated that making the pool deeper could cost more than £1m.
The upper end of the cost estimate incorporated the possibility of having to excavate bedrock, but it may be possible to achieve adequate depth by merely dredging the pool, which would be much cheaper.
The Environment & Infrastructure Committee is now leading a joint effort between the States and supporters of the bathing pools which includes looking at new suggestions and offers of assistance which have come forward over the past week or so.
Those investigations include studying the additional depth which could be created by dredging and without excavating.
A political row broke out last week when it was claimed on social media that a licence would be required by any volunteer offering to clear the pool of rocks or stones which had come over the wall from the sea, a claim repeatedly rejected by E&I president Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez.
The health and safety concerns are compounded by inconsistent water levels in the pool and E&I members have agreed to prepare a new bid for funding to repair pool walls which leak.
And it is understood that there are other risks highlighted by the HSE which are currently known only by deputies and officials working on the project.
They will need to be addressed if the diving platform is to remain up beyond the next few weeks.
Further questions have been asked about E&I’s oversight of the bathing pools in recent years, and its response to health and safety concerns identified over a period of time, and replies are expected imminently.
