Slippery Manhole Covers

Image courtesy Google Street View

I don't want to be ranting on about them all the time and get a reputation as a manhole crank, but there's a really slippery one outside the heritage centre. I slipped on it on Friday when out running. I wasn't running at the time, but just stepped in off the road after stepping off the kerb to avoid some pedestrians and maybe turned too quickly on the cover. My foot went from under me on the surface and I wrenched my shoulder, throwing myself forwards to avoid falling backwards. It had to be the bad shoulder I damaged eight months ago after falling when sprinting. Anyway, I think the problem with these galvanised manhole covers (Eir ones) is that the bumps/tread pattern they put on them for grip is too rounded and shallow, unlike the square bumps on the older cast iron covers. They're probably polished from foot traffic also.

Edit: I think it's an Eir one, but maybe ESB Networks.

Install Lighting at the Recycling Facility at Leinster Marts

Created with Grok Imagine

Just an idea so we don't end up stepping on broken-bottle ends at night, which I've seen every so often. I usually bring a torch, but safety shoes with steel insoles would be advised. Getting ESB Networks to install an electrical supply for lighting always seems to be a hassle and costly, as we saw recently when a pedestrian crossing was installed, so maybe lights could be solar powered and on sensors? They'd only need to turn on intermittently, so average power use would be low and therefore solar panels for powering the system wouldn't have to be large. In fact, a sensor could be mounted on the nearest light to the gate to control a string of maybe three streetlamps.

Edit: Grok made the image, so send the Grammar Police to them if you're concerned about spelling.

Lifebuoys in Valley Park and Access to River

Lifebuoy in the Valley Park, Kilcullen. © Eugene Brennan

I've just been thinking about these. There are three lifebuoys on the west bank of the river: one at the low section of river bank near the bridge, another further up opposite the canoe club building and the third is on a section of river bank that's high above water level, just before St. Brigid's Well.  There aren't exactly any points near the river to safely throw the lifebuoys without slipping. For the middle buoy, the slope is steep and slippery and there's just a small muddy patch near the water's edge. The grass here seems to be flattened, possibly from people making their way down to the edge to fish or to allow dogs to swim in the river. Or perhaps KCA have cut the grass for access.

Arc Flashes

Zaereth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Which can cause severe burns. The arc is usually hotter than the surface of the Sun and has the energy of an explosion. A conductive arc can form due to dust, faulty components or shorted terminals in an electrical panel due to a dropped tool. Another cause can be improperly placed test leads which bridge live parts. The huge surge in current through the low resistance arc can lead to catastrophic injuries and damage in the milliseconds before a protective device operates. Personnel working on electrical panels use PPE to protect themselves from the heat and intense UV of an arc flash. See this Fluke guide for more details.

Well Fancy That!

St Brigid's Well, Kilcullen. © Eugene Brennan

KCA have added a nice new gravel ramp leading up to the bottom step at St. Brigid's Well which will help us older or short-legged folk negotiate the incline. The riser of the step was always quite tall. The others are a bit tall too. The gravel ramp should be safer than the existing stone one which is probably risky in the winter because of ice and algae. The steps are somewhat slippy, possibly because the hard rock has become worn and polished from traffic. In winter the situation is worse because of algae, but KCA (I presume) have regularly sanded the steps which helped and made them safe

St Brigid's Well, Kilcullen. Ramp added to reduce step height. © Eugene Brennan

Tree Cutting Assessment

If you see trees getting close to lines, you can report them to ESB Networks so that they can be cut before lots of customers may be affected by a limb strike and loss of power. This page gives information about cutting trees and trimming hedges on your property, applying for a free tree cutting assessment, safety guidelines for cutting trees, who's responsible, is there a charge? etc.

More information on the ESB Networks website here.