Safety Issues at Vale Farm

These are some of the safety issues reported to Brent Council / Leisure Connection. Action is usually taken eventually. Part of my complaint is that these safety issues are either not being spotted or not dealt with by LC staff and managers. 

Bolts - Swimming lane dividers are held in place by protruding bolts. The bolts should be removed when the lane ropes are taken down. Reported 4.6.03, 24.4.04

From 4.6.03  "I found a bolt used to secure lane dividers left in after the rope had been removed. (This particular bolt is not well designed as it could easily cut a hand striking it with force. To her credit, the lifeguard I handed it to checked and found one other bolt that had been left in. This was of a different design and while a hazard, not such a great one. I have complained in the long past about these bolts being left in as I believe that if hit they could result in serious head or eye injury.)"

Fire Doors - These either have not been able to close or have been propped open. Reported 17.2.04, 8.3.04, 15.4.04

From 17.2.04 " There is still a problem of draught in at least the men’s changing rooms as the two, I think fire stop doors, do not close properly. In fact, they are routinely wedged or held open by a rubbish bin. If they are fire or smoke stop doors it is dangerous and illegal for them not to be fully functional and used as intended."

Glass -  Glass bottles and beakers in the changing area. Reported 10.8.03, 2.9.03, 28.10.03

From 7.11.03 "You seem to imply that an early morning swimmer brought in the bottle and consumed spirits. If you are suggesting this I think it is highly unlikely. I suggest that it is almost certain that the bottle was brought in the night before and no or poor cleaning meant it was not detected. I share your concern about swimmers who might be under the influence and would report this if I were aware of it. My greater concern is that someone under the influence breaks glass and because of inadequate cleaning an early morning swimmer discovers it with his feet. I have reported alcohol bottles and drinking glasses in the changing rooms first thing in the morning on at least two other occasions."

Slip Hazards - Puddles left on lino floors. Reported 23.1.03, 17.2.03, 1.4.03, 10.8.03, 18.11.03, 27.2.04

From 23.1.03  "Over the last three months there have been large puddles of water on the floor, especially just outside the entrance to the lobby that leads to the Men and Women's wet side changing areas. I observe these c. 7 am on arrival and sometimes they are still there when I leave forty or so minutes later, On some occasions a hazard warning is erected by it, as it should be. In my experience more often than not there is no hazard warning."

Staff Vale Farm appears to often be short of staff, especially first thing in the morning. Some of the staff are great but others give cause for concern. For example, one often parked his car in one of the spaces reserved for people with disabilities. I reported this four times between March and August 2003.  But the major worry I have is safety. See also the notes made by Ian Ogilvie on the Apologies Received page. 

From 22.4.02  "This morning only one [lane] rope was in use when I got in the pool just after 6.30. The attendant was busy setting up the other ropes for several minutes but this meant he was not able to keep his full attention on the swimmers. There is a very simple solution to this problem – set the ropes and signs out the night before the pool attendant goes off duty."

From 1.11.02  "When I got out of the pool I could not see a lifeguard. Between the main and learner's pool is a wooden bench. A young man walked the length of the bench bouncing a ball on it without taking his eyes of the ball. When I asked him if he was the lifeguard he replied that he was. I asked how he could do his job if he did not keep his eyes on the pool? He replied that there were other ways of knowing if people were in trouble." 

Trip Hazards - Hoses are either not properly stowed or not marked as a trip hazard. Reported 18.11.03, 25.11.03, 11.12.03, 17.2.04, & 8.3.04.

From 17.2.04  "On Sunday I also reported to Duty Manager that the yellow hose again was a trip hazard as it projected out from under the sink in the men’s changing rooms. I reported this problem to another Duty Manager today and, in fact, I have seen the hazard several times this year and not reported it. Does the council have to wait for a pensioner to break his hip before remedying this problem? If a hose must be kept in that area it needs to be on a reel to prevent it spilling over to where people will place their feet. I note that the hose in the corner of the pool hall still usually lies across the floor, presenting another trip hazard." (A hose reel has now been installed and a trip hazard sign is now placed by the hose near the pool. PB)

Unsafe Stacking - Several heavy steel poles left stored unsecured leaning against wall in the swimming pool hall. They should not be stored in the pool area and certainly not in such a way that they could fall and injure someone. Reported 16.9.03, 31.10.03 and 7.11.03.

Frayed ends of wire rope  lane dividers - from emails to LC and Brent Council

1 .6.04 "On Sunday as I was finishing swimming I chatted with a man I had not spoken to before. He showed me a scar on his hand and told me that about a three or four weeks ago he had cut it on a steel wire at the end of the lane rope at Vale Farm. I looked at the ropes and found that there was one end with sharp, splayed steel fibres protruding. These strands could easily be brushed against or grabbed and if done with some force would slash or puncture. Incidentally, this was not the rope that had just been put in place.

I asked the lifeguard to call the Duty Manager to show him the hazard. The duty manager was not available so I showed the lifeguard and asked the man who had been cut to show her the scar. The man also told the lifeguard that he had not bothered to report the accident, as he felt nothing came of complaints at Vale Farm.

On my way out I asked to see the Duty Manger and waited. As there was no sign of the Duty Manager after some minutes I asked reception to be sure to pass on that there steel ropes had ends that could cut.

I was therefore surprised today, Tuesday, to find that there was still a steel rope end with fibres that could be touched. The fibres today were more out of the way than on Sunday and not as long but still present an unnecessary and unacceptable hazard.

8.8.04 ... three ropes had exposed strands at the shallow end, though these were all shorter than the worst reported last week. One of the ropes has a number of longer, more dangerous strands at the deep end. The discs suspended from the wire cannot be relied on to protect swimmers from these strands as the discs can be moved up to 30 cm along the wire, leaving the strands very exposed."

Fire Exit with Trip Hazard and Thorns for Bare Feet - email to LC and Brent