ESB initiates safety check on its facilities after drowning tragedies

A safety audit on the ESB's waterways countrywide is to be undertaken this summer following three drowning tragedies in Co Clare…

A safety audit on the ESB's waterways countrywide is to be undertaken this summer following three drowning tragedies in Co Clare.

The Irish Water Safety Association is to carry out the audit on behalf of the ESB safety committee, according to an ESB spokesman yesterday.

"We would like to see it completed as quickly as possible and the end of the summer would not be unrealistic."

The spokesman said all aspects of safety at ESB facilities would be examined, including warning signs and whether the facilities were safe for the public to use.

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The audit will take in the ESB's deepwater port at Moneypoint on the Clare side of the Shannon estuary, Tarbert on the Kerry estuary shore, Inniscarra and Great Island in Cork, Poulaphouca on the Liffey, Ballyshannon on the Erne and the Clady in Donegal.

The spokesman stressed they do not encourage people to swim at any of their facilities. However, there are a number of locations which can be used for different activities, such as boating at Golden Falls and Poulaphouca in Wicklow. Fishing is allowed on the Erne and regulations will be in place shortly. All these will be looked at, along with river walks.

The audit will be financed by the ESB and will involve inspectors countrywide. The findings and recommendations will then be made available to the ESB.

The company has already carried out its own investigation into the drowning tragedies in Clare and the safety committee decided to put in place extra warning signs, fencing and lifebelts.

A number of additional lifebelts are already in place at Parteen Bridge, the scene of a double drowning.

Some years ago the ESB investigated the possibility of having an alarm or warning bell set off when the turbines started running, but this was found to be impractical as it would not be audible.

The safety audit was prompted by the drowning of John "Mashen" McInerney from Clonlara in the ESB headrace near his home in April, and two 16-year-olds from Moyross in Limerick,Lyndsey Kiely and Victor O'Connor, who were swept away in the tailrace of the Ardnacrusha power station last month.