15
Warning: The new dock pilings at the Port of Tacoma are a nightmare for diver clearance
I was working a job there last week, doing some routine hull inspections on a container ship. The new pilings they installed are way too close together, maybe only 8 feet apart in some spots. It's a real squeeze with a bailout bottle on, especially with any current running. I had to go sideways and shuffle my gear through one gap, which felt sketchy as hell. Some guys on my crew said it's fine and you just need to be more careful, but I think it's a safety issue waiting for a snag. The port authority says it's to fit more ships, but it makes our work way harder. Has anyone else run into this kind of tight space problem at other ports, and how do you handle it?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
mianelson1mo ago
YEP that is a snag waiting to happen.
6
the_fiona2mo ago
That sideways shuffle with your bailout is exactly the problem. I've been in that spot before and it's not about being more careful, it's a bad design. What we did on a tight piling job was send a tender through first without gear to check the worst gaps. Then we planned our route in and out before anyone got in the water. If the current picks up, you're right, it becomes a no-go zone. They need to hear that from divers, not just assume we'll deal with it.
4
lily572mo ago
That line about it becoming a no-go zone if the current picks up really got me. I used to just think we had to be tougher and work around anything. But you're right, it's a design problem, not a diver problem. Planning an exit before you even get in the water is the only safe way.
2
king.eric2mo ago
Ever feel like a sardine trying to wiggle through a can opener? That's what that sounds like. Sending a tender through first is smart, but it shouldn't be our job to fix their bad planning. If the port wants more ships, they need to make sure the people who work on them can actually move around.
2