Implementing change
By Dr Stuart Ruttle
Engineer-in-Chief
We have had an eventful year in the Engineering Department. We have implemented new working arrangements for technicians and support operatives based in Dun Laoghaire, introduced service vehicles to facilitate better travelling and working arrangements on the coast, completed the installation of equipment for the solar powered lights at Eagle Island and at Skelligs lighthouses, changed the status of the DGPS service to operating capability-the list goes on.
Slyne Head Lighthouse
Slyne Head Lighthouse was the subject of a major re-engineering and solarisation project in 2002. The optic at Slyne Head is unique in Irish Lights in that it consists of First Order rotating biform parabolic silvered glass reflectors and not the traditional lighthouse annular lenses. Measurements made by the Research and Development Section of the General Lighthouse Authorities showed that a 35 Watt metal halide etched discharge lamp in place of the 1kW metal arc lamp could provide a light with a range of 19 miles, thus enabling the station to be powered using solar panels.
Forty Solarnova 50 Watt solar panels, arranged to charge two parallel connected 24 volt 2,750 Ampere-hour (Ah) lead acid batteries, have been mounted on stainless steel frames in the small compound on the south side of the dwelling.
The monitoring system is being replaced with a Datac 932 unit that communicates directly with the central monitoring centre in Dun Laoghaire through the cellular mobile phone network. The dual band X/S racon (radar transponder beacon) mounted inside the glass reinforced plastic dome is being retained.
Two of the TS3 diesel generating sets are being retained for back-up power. These can be switched on remotely from Dun Laoghaire to charge the main batteries if required. They also provide conditioning heating for the dwelling and provide domestic power for visiting personnel. Extensive work has been carried out re-roofing the dwelling and the accommodation facilities have been improved.
The new solar powered light came into operation on 26 August 2002.
Blackhead, Clare Lighthouse
The propane gas powered light at Blackhead, Clare Lighthouse was converted to a solar electric powered light on 18 February 2002. A Tideland flasher unit with six position lampchanger fitted with 35 Watt tungsten halogen lamps was installed in the existing glass lens. This arrangement retains the light range of 11 nautical miles in the white sector and 8 nautical miles in the red sector.
The system is powered by eight 50 Watt solar panels mounted on a stainless steel framework manufactured in the Lighthouse Depot and located on the south face of the lighthouse. The array charges a 760 Ah battery.
The system is monitored using a Datac 911 system operating over the mobile telephone network directly into the central monitoring system in Dun Laoghaire.
Scattery Island Lighthouse
This station has been converted from propane gas light to solar electric power. The new light consists of a Tideland ML300 lantern with six position lampchanger fitted with 20 Watt tungsten halogen lamps. The system is powered by six 50 Watt Solarnova panels, mounted on a stainless steel frame on the roof of the old gas bottle store, charging a 400 Ah battery.
The system is monitored using a Datac 911 system operating over the mobile telephone network directly into the central monitoring system in Dun Laoghaire.
The new light came into operation on 16 September 2002. The old propane gas optic has been loaned for display at the Scattery Island Centre in Kilrush.
Broadhaven Lighthouse
The project to re-equip Broadhaven Lighthouse and to increase the range of the light has been completed. The cluster of three 100W domestic lamps has been replaced with 1kW tungsten filament lamps mounted in a lampchanger in the 500mm focal distance glass lens, and the sectors of the light have been adjusted. The range of the light in the white sector has been increased from 12 to 17 nautical miles and in the red sectors from 9 to 12 nautical miles, thus increasing the conspicuity of the light against the background lighting. The new light came into operation on 21 March 2002.
The mains failure generator has been replaced, new batteries and chargers installed, and a Datac 932 monitoring unit provided which operates over the mobile phone network. Extensive re-plastering work has been carried out on the interior of the lighthouse.
Floating Aids to Navigation
For a number of years we have been working on the development of a superbuoy as a possible replacement for our two automatic lightfloats deployed on the South Rock and Coningbeg stations. Experience with the experimental Black Rock superbuoy deployed off the Wexford coast has shown that this is not an easy task. A second superbuoy has now been deployed on the Cork station and will be monitored over the coming winter period. Automatic Lightfloat Kittiwake, currently deployed on the South Rock station, successfully underwent dry-docking and refit in Cork Dockyard in August this year. A third superbuoy was prepared at the Lighthouse Depot as a temporary replacement while the lightfloat was off station. This process is in line with our efforts to eliminate the need for a spare lightfloat.
The project to replace buoy superstructures with aluminium daymarks of a Northern Lighthouse Board design is well advanced with 27 buoys now deployed. New lanterns using light emitting diodes (leds) have been commented on favourably. Buoy bowls are modified in the Lighthouse Depot and then sent to a contractor for grit blasting and painting.
Works in progress
Work is on-going on the project to re-equip Maidens Lighthouse. As I write, the construction of a new mess room is well advanced and the installation of the new equipment is imminent. St John's Point, Down Lighthouse has also been re-engineered and the refurbishment of house No 4 as the new service accommodation is well advanced. Work has commenced on the design, specification and procurement for re-equipping and solarisation of Inishtearaght Lighthouse and the re-engineering of Mine Head Lighthouse.
Building conditioning
Building conditioning has always been a challenging issue with the advent of low energy lights powered from wind energy and solar power. A number of projects are currently in hand to provide conditioned ventilation, powered by wind energy or solar power, in service accommodation. Temperature and humidity sensors are being used to monitor conditions and the data collected will be used to determine the effectiveness of the systems installed. It remains to be seen what success these projects will have in improving the comfort of service accommodation and preserving our buildings.
Alternative uses of lighthouse property
Irish Landmark Trust completed the refurbishment of dwellings at Loophead and Galley Head, adding these stations to Wicklow Head on their list of prestige lighthouse holiday accommodation. They are now going to concentrate on refurbishing two of the houses at Blackhead, Antrim and the house at Cromwell Point before commencing work on the houses at St John's Point, Down.
The Port of Larne harbour authority completed the installation of equipment on the tower at Ferris Point as part of their vessel traffic service. This service went into operation on 28 April 2002.
Radionavigation
On 1 July 2002 the status of the differential GPS service provided by the General Lighthouse Authorities changed from trial service to operational capability. This followed on from an extensive series of validation trials throughout the UK and Ireland to ensure that the service met accuracy and coverage specifications. The system now comprises 14 reference stations providing transmissions with coverage of at least 50 nautical miles around our coastal waters. Position accuracy of better than 5 metres in moving applications and even greater in stationary applications can be achieved.
1 July 2002 was also the date when mandatory carriage of automatic identification systems (AIS) on all new SOLAS vessels came into force. Mandatory carriage will gradually extend to all SOLAS vessels by July 2008.
AIS is a specialised radio device installed on a vessel which broadcasts the navigational status, identity and position of that vessel to other vessels and shore installations within range of the broadcast transmission. It can be arranged for this information to be displayed on ships' electronic charts or on vessel traffic service computer displays. In a similar way AIS can be used as an aid to navigation on buoys or lighthouses, transmitting information such as the name, position, and status of that aid, and providing the capability to have that information displayed on electronic charts. Shore based AIS networks need to be established to collect and distribute the data to appropriate authorities, such as ports and search and rescue agencies. The EU Parliament has issued a directive that member states should establish AIS networks and share data internationally. Trials are currently being carried out in Dublin Bay with AIS installed at the Kish, on the Granuaile, in Dublin Port, and on the Irish Ferries' high-speed craft Jonathan Swift. The next few years could be very interesting in the field of radionavigation.
Safety Training
Revised Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2002 came into effect from 1 January 2002. One of features of the revised regulations is that all construction workers must have a FÁS Safe Pass Card. To comply with the new regulations, Safe Pass training has been provided for most members of the Engineering Department.
Engineering Department re-organisation
During the past year negotiations with the trade unions representing various groups in the Lighthouse Depot were completed and we are now in the process of implementing new work practices. Traditionally, the Engineering Department was organised along the disciplinary lines of electrical, mechanical and civil engineering, with the Lighthouse Depot workforce carrying out equipment installation and maintenance operations on the coast, and buoy preparation in the Depot. In the new arrangements the emphasis is on dedicated multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled teamwork.
Maintenance on the coast is now carried out on a regional basis with two regions, each managed by a Regional Operations Manager, and two multi-disciplinary teams of electrical and mechanical technicians assigned to each region. The emphasis is in moving from break-down maintenance to planned preventative maintenance, with one or two planned visits to each station every year. Operations and Planning Supervisors, and Electronic Technicians support the Regional Managers. Each of the four maintenance teams has been provided with a fitted-out vehicle for carrying their tools and gear and the use of personal cars has been extended.
Project work is also carried out using dedicated teams of electrical and mechanical technicians assigned on a project basis. Design Engineers, Drawing Office Technicians and Electronic Technicians support Project Managers who look after all aspects of each project-specification, design, procurement, construction, installation, production of the technical and instruction manuals, and commissioning and hand-over to the Regional Manager.
Civil works and painting operations remain under the management of the civil section; however, the coast workforce has been assigned on a regional basis under the management of two Civil Regional Operations Managers, and support is provided to Project Managers as required.
Buoy assembly is carried out by a team of technicians and support operatives under the management of the Depot Operations Manager supported by the Buoy and Workshops Supervisor and the Support Operatives Chargehand.
At the Lighthouse Depot the electrical workshops and part of the mechanical workshops have been modified, and bench and work areas have been provided to house the teams.
None of these changes could have come about without a willingness to embrace change and to move forward. I wish to thank all those involved in the negotiations both on the management and union sides for their many hours of dedicated work, which made this happen.
The changes have also had a down side, with a number of redundancies. My thanks go to all those who have left the Service in this past year for their many years of dedication and service to the mariner and to Irish Lights. I wish you well in the future.
Operations
Throughout the year work has continued in the Lighthouse Depot and in all weather conditions on the coast, maintaining the very high standards of workmanship that we have come to expect. My thanks are due to all the teams of technicians and support operatives, the civil coast workforce, the project teams, the designers, the managers, and all those who provide the vital support functions such as stores, purchasing, the monitoring centre, which enable us to meet the required standard of availability of our aids to navigation. Thank you one and all.
Engineer-in-Chief
We have had an eventful year in the Engineering Department. We have implemented new working arrangements for technicians and support operatives based in Dun Laoghaire, introduced service vehicles to facilitate better travelling and working arrangements on the coast, completed the installation of equipment for the solar powered lights at Eagle Island and at Skelligs lighthouses, changed the status of the DGPS service to operating capability-the list goes on.
Slyne Head Lighthouse
Slyne Head Lighthouse was the subject of a major re-engineering and solarisation project in 2002. The optic at Slyne Head is unique in Irish Lights in that it consists of First Order rotating biform parabolic silvered glass reflectors and not the traditional lighthouse annular lenses. Measurements made by the Research and Development Section of the General Lighthouse Authorities showed that a 35 Watt metal halide etched discharge lamp in place of the 1kW metal arc lamp could provide a light with a range of 19 miles, thus enabling the station to be powered using solar panels.
Forty Solarnova 50 Watt solar panels, arranged to charge two parallel connected 24 volt 2,750 Ampere-hour (Ah) lead acid batteries, have been mounted on stainless steel frames in the small compound on the south side of the dwelling.
The monitoring system is being replaced with a Datac 932 unit that communicates directly with the central monitoring centre in Dun Laoghaire through the cellular mobile phone network. The dual band X/S racon (radar transponder beacon) mounted inside the glass reinforced plastic dome is being retained.
Two of the TS3 diesel generating sets are being retained for back-up power. These can be switched on remotely from Dun Laoghaire to charge the main batteries if required. They also provide conditioning heating for the dwelling and provide domestic power for visiting personnel. Extensive work has been carried out re-roofing the dwelling and the accommodation facilities have been improved.
The new solar powered light came into operation on 26 August 2002.
Blackhead, Clare Lighthouse
The propane gas powered light at Blackhead, Clare Lighthouse was converted to a solar electric powered light on 18 February 2002. A Tideland flasher unit with six position lampchanger fitted with 35 Watt tungsten halogen lamps was installed in the existing glass lens. This arrangement retains the light range of 11 nautical miles in the white sector and 8 nautical miles in the red sector.
The system is powered by eight 50 Watt solar panels mounted on a stainless steel framework manufactured in the Lighthouse Depot and located on the south face of the lighthouse. The array charges a 760 Ah battery.
The system is monitored using a Datac 911 system operating over the mobile telephone network directly into the central monitoring system in Dun Laoghaire.
Scattery Island Lighthouse
This station has been converted from propane gas light to solar electric power. The new light consists of a Tideland ML300 lantern with six position lampchanger fitted with 20 Watt tungsten halogen lamps. The system is powered by six 50 Watt Solarnova panels, mounted on a stainless steel frame on the roof of the old gas bottle store, charging a 400 Ah battery.
The system is monitored using a Datac 911 system operating over the mobile telephone network directly into the central monitoring system in Dun Laoghaire.
The new light came into operation on 16 September 2002. The old propane gas optic has been loaned for display at the Scattery Island Centre in Kilrush.
Broadhaven Lighthouse
The project to re-equip Broadhaven Lighthouse and to increase the range of the light has been completed. The cluster of three 100W domestic lamps has been replaced with 1kW tungsten filament lamps mounted in a lampchanger in the 500mm focal distance glass lens, and the sectors of the light have been adjusted. The range of the light in the white sector has been increased from 12 to 17 nautical miles and in the red sectors from 9 to 12 nautical miles, thus increasing the conspicuity of the light against the background lighting. The new light came into operation on 21 March 2002.
The mains failure generator has been replaced, new batteries and chargers installed, and a Datac 932 monitoring unit provided which operates over the mobile phone network. Extensive re-plastering work has been carried out on the interior of the lighthouse.
Floating Aids to Navigation
For a number of years we have been working on the development of a superbuoy as a possible replacement for our two automatic lightfloats deployed on the South Rock and Coningbeg stations. Experience with the experimental Black Rock superbuoy deployed off the Wexford coast has shown that this is not an easy task. A second superbuoy has now been deployed on the Cork station and will be monitored over the coming winter period. Automatic Lightfloat Kittiwake, currently deployed on the South Rock station, successfully underwent dry-docking and refit in Cork Dockyard in August this year. A third superbuoy was prepared at the Lighthouse Depot as a temporary replacement while the lightfloat was off station. This process is in line with our efforts to eliminate the need for a spare lightfloat.
The project to replace buoy superstructures with aluminium daymarks of a Northern Lighthouse Board design is well advanced with 27 buoys now deployed. New lanterns using light emitting diodes (leds) have been commented on favourably. Buoy bowls are modified in the Lighthouse Depot and then sent to a contractor for grit blasting and painting.
Works in progress
Work is on-going on the project to re-equip Maidens Lighthouse. As I write, the construction of a new mess room is well advanced and the installation of the new equipment is imminent. St John's Point, Down Lighthouse has also been re-engineered and the refurbishment of house No 4 as the new service accommodation is well advanced. Work has commenced on the design, specification and procurement for re-equipping and solarisation of Inishtearaght Lighthouse and the re-engineering of Mine Head Lighthouse.
Building conditioning
Building conditioning has always been a challenging issue with the advent of low energy lights powered from wind energy and solar power. A number of projects are currently in hand to provide conditioned ventilation, powered by wind energy or solar power, in service accommodation. Temperature and humidity sensors are being used to monitor conditions and the data collected will be used to determine the effectiveness of the systems installed. It remains to be seen what success these projects will have in improving the comfort of service accommodation and preserving our buildings.
Alternative uses of lighthouse property
Irish Landmark Trust completed the refurbishment of dwellings at Loophead and Galley Head, adding these stations to Wicklow Head on their list of prestige lighthouse holiday accommodation. They are now going to concentrate on refurbishing two of the houses at Blackhead, Antrim and the house at Cromwell Point before commencing work on the houses at St John's Point, Down.
The Port of Larne harbour authority completed the installation of equipment on the tower at Ferris Point as part of their vessel traffic service. This service went into operation on 28 April 2002.
Radionavigation
On 1 July 2002 the status of the differential GPS service provided by the General Lighthouse Authorities changed from trial service to operational capability. This followed on from an extensive series of validation trials throughout the UK and Ireland to ensure that the service met accuracy and coverage specifications. The system now comprises 14 reference stations providing transmissions with coverage of at least 50 nautical miles around our coastal waters. Position accuracy of better than 5 metres in moving applications and even greater in stationary applications can be achieved.
1 July 2002 was also the date when mandatory carriage of automatic identification systems (AIS) on all new SOLAS vessels came into force. Mandatory carriage will gradually extend to all SOLAS vessels by July 2008.
AIS is a specialised radio device installed on a vessel which broadcasts the navigational status, identity and position of that vessel to other vessels and shore installations within range of the broadcast transmission. It can be arranged for this information to be displayed on ships' electronic charts or on vessel traffic service computer displays. In a similar way AIS can be used as an aid to navigation on buoys or lighthouses, transmitting information such as the name, position, and status of that aid, and providing the capability to have that information displayed on electronic charts. Shore based AIS networks need to be established to collect and distribute the data to appropriate authorities, such as ports and search and rescue agencies. The EU Parliament has issued a directive that member states should establish AIS networks and share data internationally. Trials are currently being carried out in Dublin Bay with AIS installed at the Kish, on the Granuaile, in Dublin Port, and on the Irish Ferries' high-speed craft Jonathan Swift. The next few years could be very interesting in the field of radionavigation.
Safety Training
Revised Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2002 came into effect from 1 January 2002. One of features of the revised regulations is that all construction workers must have a FÁS Safe Pass Card. To comply with the new regulations, Safe Pass training has been provided for most members of the Engineering Department.
Engineering Department re-organisation
During the past year negotiations with the trade unions representing various groups in the Lighthouse Depot were completed and we are now in the process of implementing new work practices. Traditionally, the Engineering Department was organised along the disciplinary lines of electrical, mechanical and civil engineering, with the Lighthouse Depot workforce carrying out equipment installation and maintenance operations on the coast, and buoy preparation in the Depot. In the new arrangements the emphasis is on dedicated multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled teamwork.
Maintenance on the coast is now carried out on a regional basis with two regions, each managed by a Regional Operations Manager, and two multi-disciplinary teams of electrical and mechanical technicians assigned to each region. The emphasis is in moving from break-down maintenance to planned preventative maintenance, with one or two planned visits to each station every year. Operations and Planning Supervisors, and Electronic Technicians support the Regional Managers. Each of the four maintenance teams has been provided with a fitted-out vehicle for carrying their tools and gear and the use of personal cars has been extended.
Project work is also carried out using dedicated teams of electrical and mechanical technicians assigned on a project basis. Design Engineers, Drawing Office Technicians and Electronic Technicians support Project Managers who look after all aspects of each project-specification, design, procurement, construction, installation, production of the technical and instruction manuals, and commissioning and hand-over to the Regional Manager.
Civil works and painting operations remain under the management of the civil section; however, the coast workforce has been assigned on a regional basis under the management of two Civil Regional Operations Managers, and support is provided to Project Managers as required.
Buoy assembly is carried out by a team of technicians and support operatives under the management of the Depot Operations Manager supported by the Buoy and Workshops Supervisor and the Support Operatives Chargehand.
At the Lighthouse Depot the electrical workshops and part of the mechanical workshops have been modified, and bench and work areas have been provided to house the teams.
None of these changes could have come about without a willingness to embrace change and to move forward. I wish to thank all those involved in the negotiations both on the management and union sides for their many hours of dedicated work, which made this happen.
The changes have also had a down side, with a number of redundancies. My thanks go to all those who have left the Service in this past year for their many years of dedication and service to the mariner and to Irish Lights. I wish you well in the future.
Operations
Throughout the year work has continued in the Lighthouse Depot and in all weather conditions on the coast, maintaining the very high standards of workmanship that we have come to expect. My thanks are due to all the teams of technicians and support operatives, the civil coast workforce, the project teams, the designers, the managers, and all those who provide the vital support functions such as stores, purchasing, the monitoring centre, which enable us to meet the required standard of availability of our aids to navigation. Thank you one and all.