Essentially the head wall of the dam has the effective force of a great deal of water pressure acting on the pressure side of the dam wall. Any cracks or fissures could potentially pose a risk to divers as this overall pressure is exerted at these points of water ingress.
A diver could therefore find themselves driven into any breach in the wall with a force which could make extraction impossible.
To overcome this we deployed the use of a dive cage, specifically designed to hold the diver off of the head wall and allow any water flow to pass safely between the cage and any defect.
Dive protocols were put in place and enforced enabling close detail data to be collected whilst mitigating any risks. Additionally the cage served to protect the diver from any potentially hostile aquatic creatures whilst enabling the diver to be deployed by crane to the worksite in complete safety.
To further enhance the safety of the operation, a recompression chamber and complete gas plant was put on site with full medical facilities for the health and wellbeing of the dive teams.
Outcomes – Ultimately the inspection project enabled a vital and detailed engineering report tobe produced and delivered to the client (Eskom). The information within this report enables Eskom to definitively structure and cost future works necessary to keep this essential power generating plant working, ensuring growth and prosperity for future for generations of the people of Uganda and those in wider East Africa.