FEATURES MEMBER ASSESSMENT >>> Continued from page 37


storage, emergency lighting and the two keepers’ cottages wired in FP for fi nal circuits to discourage any curious wildlife, and it was clear there was going to be plenty for me to inspect. Starting with a thorough tour of the impressive 40ft high structure, Wullie explained that working at such remote spots brings its own logistical challenges.


He told me: “Refurbishments are


time consuming – it takes around eight weeks to turn around a lighthouse for a full infrastructure upgrade all the way from main panel boards and sub distribution to fi nal circuits. Within that there’s control cabling, back-up DC, battery charging, security alarms and fi re detection and alarm – not to mention state-of-the-art LED lights. “We use a whole breadth of installation practices on each lighthouse. One installation alone requires a huge amount of stainless steel tray work, steelwork armour, AC/DC circuits and so on.


“This has a knock-on eff ect with the type of drill bits we use and even things like marine grade screws – there’s always lots to think about.


“When it comes to other materials,


everything needs to be planned and packed beforehand, from internal and external paint to doors and even concrete if required. And there’s no wholesaler around the corner if we forget something.”


PROTECTION AT SEA


T e Northern Lighthouse Board has provided a vital safety service to mariners since 1786. It is responsible for


the superintendence and management of all lights, buoys and beacons within Scottish and Isle of Man waters. NLB’s service makes


a signifi cant contribution to the prevention of accidents and incidents


around the coastline, safeguarding not only lives and property, but also protecting our precious marine environment. NLB currently


operates and maintains 206 lighthouses and 170 buoys as well as providing radio aids to navigation (AtoN). It is also


38 CABLEtalk JUNE/JULY 2020


responsible for ensuring that other AtoN


providers in the area, such as port authorities, conform to


international standards.


NLB operates two ships to carry out buoy work, deliver supplies


and inspect navigation aids on rigs.


Flying visits


As we continued the assessment, Wullie explained how electrical installation in this type of safety-critical building has come on in leaps and bounds from the early candle-powered days. But while technology may have transformed some things, the age-old challenge of logistics still remains. “As you can imagine, the implications for this type of work are massive,” he said. “We usually use helicopters to reach the most remote lighthouses which aren’t accessible by road. If the weather is bad and the helicopters can’t operate, we use a ship which is loaded in Oban and then offl oaded at the lighthouse by helicopter once the weather allows it. “Our guys also live on this ship while


they’re working and are fl own back and forth to the lighthouse. Because of this, they all undergo emergency training, including procedures for ditching at sea and using the appropriate survival suits in case of such a manoeuvre.” He added: “For the time they’re on the refurbishment, the guys live for the job. At Mull of Kintyre, they were lucky enough to have the cottages to stay in, but at others they can’t get the van close enough and there’s a half-hour walk to and from the lighthouse – hard going after a 12-hour shift. “But the guys really enjoy the work


– it’s diff erent to anything else and they see some interesting parts of the country that a lot of people will never see.” But surely there must be some hairy moments too? Wullie paused for a moment and then smiled. “I remember being on the Bell Rock in the middle of the North Sea when a storm struck,” he said. “The tower was shuddering as the waves pounded it and I was thinking, ‘This could be the end’ but then I realised it had been standing for more than 200 years so it probably wasn’t going to fall down just yet!”


Value of membership As we looked out across the chilly waters, Wullie refl ected on how he’s now worked on remote lighthouses of all sizes around Scotland, from the 40m-high giants down to the smallest here at Mull of Kintyre. Other projects


Darren with the new lamp


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