Recent Achievements
Glasgow Humane Society calls on Highland Galvanizers
(article taken from highland colour coaters ltd blog - click here to link to article)
As one of the UK’s leading galvanising and powder coating applicators, we have worked with countless private and public sector organisations on a variety of projects. Usually this involves protecting steel from corrosion, but recently we were involved in protecting something much more important: peoples’ lives.
It all sounds very dramatic but true. Our services were called upon by the Glasgow Humane Society which is the world’s oldest practical life-saving organisation and has been responsible for the search and rescue of thousands of people.
The Humane Society was struggling to find a suitable coating for the numerous ladders, gates, and lifebelt stands positioned along the River Clyde, and when we heard of the news we decided to offer our Colourgalv technique and services free of charge.
The brief was simple, the ladders and lifebelt stands had to be able to withstand the hazardous environment of the Clyde and be bright enough to be seen from both water level and the river bank. The aim was to provide beacons of light for people in trouble.
We quickly set to work and used our hot dip galvanising process and powder coat finish to successfully light up a lifebelt stand at the Humane Society’s headquarters in Glasgow Green.
Not content with coming to the Humane Society’s rescue on one occasion, we answered yet another call for help and used Colourgalv on a gate at the charity’s HQ.
The Humane Society hopes to eventually install Colourgalv’d gates and lifebelt stands along the Clydeside, leaving the area bright and luminous. With Colourgalv, it will stay this way for over 25 years and corrosion free for decades.
Chief Officer of the Glasgow Humane Society, George Parsonage, said: “Although the Humane Society carries out rescues, our main aim is to help prevent accidents and the loss of life in the first place.
“It is vital that when they are needed, people can identify lifebelts. This can make the difference between a lucky escape and a tragedy.
“We are very grateful to Highland Galvanizers & Colour Coaters for providing its services. Hopefully this will be the first step we take towards safer waterways in our city.”
We really do hope George’s ambitions are realised and this is rolled out across the city, and we are eager to do as much as we can to help such a worthwhile cause.
Remembrance Sunday
Officers George and Tony represented the Society at a remembrance Sunday service. Afterwards they laid a wreath on behalf of all the Society at the Cenotaph in George Square.
Search
Having been approached by relatives and friends, regarding missing persons, the Society Officers and Lifeguards have supplemented official search, which brings great comfort, as people like knowing that someone cares, and someone is looking. Hopefully these searches will reach an early conclusion.
The small gate at the compound has been powder coated yellow courtesy of Highland Galvanizers. The gate shows quite spectacularly how bright the colour coating is, especially as it is seen alongside the yellow paint on
the double gate nearby.
We look forward to having our other gates coated and to have developers take this idea on board as the norm for our rivers and other waterways within the City.
The Lifeboat Bennie was finally delivered to the Museum dehumidifying chamber on 9th July where it will have a long stay under varying conditions controlled by experts.
The same day saw us working in conjunction with Councillors and DRS on a project linked with publicising the Molendinar Burn.
A lifeguard found bullets on the riverbank during patrols which were removed by Police for disposal.
Further into July has seen Tony and I trying to persuade Restorative Justice to expand the excellent work that they have been carrying out to include not just the City Centre but other areas like upstream of the tidal weir and Govan (to name but two). In conjunction with the Society they have been painting quay wall railings, the emergency yellow on gates, lifebelt posts and sections of fencing.
There is no doubt that this work is an excellent example of what Restorative Justice can do for the Citizens of our City.
We have given expert advice to Clydeport regarding casualty landing sites within the Clydeport jurisdiction.
The new Bridge over Jennies Burn has almost been completed; it is open to the public, although there are still some safety issues to be completed, like lifebelt post, signage, link fencing and pathway leading to the Bridge. The Bridge has appropriately been named Jennies Bridge.
The cyclepath/towpath between Rutherglen and Dalmarnock Bridges has been opened to the public again weeks ahead of schedule.
Tony George and Lifeguard Ben spent time yesterday with workmen from Maclays marking the positions for the lifebelt posts that are being erected.
The lifebelts positions are being marked by GPS and should assist emergency services reaching an incident speedily and accurately.
A new vertical bar railing has replaced the old horizontal bar climbing frame. Unfortunately the sides of the towpath are still covered with hogweed and persons will have to be careful that they do not come into contact with it.
Much work has still to be done for example railings at Shore Street with the removal of the boom barrier at that locus, the enhancement of the area around the boom gate at Cotton Street and the signage for the lifebelt stances.
On Saturday 19th June Officer Coia deposited Officer Parsonage and Lifeguard McKay at Boggleshole Ford with a Canadian Canoe. Mark and George came down through the hurts immediately below this locus, enabling Mark to take photos from below of the new girders of the M74 extension spanning the river.
On route downstream we also observed that the south bank of the river has been modified to encompass the motorway and a new outflow that we had not been informed of also on the south bank.
We passed several groups of fishermen, most of them with no buoyancy aids or lifejackets on, and all with carry-outs.
Collisions between boats on the river have been prevented by our vigilance, an injured seagull has been rescued and sent to Hessilhead (wearing a Glasgow Community Safety Services jacket), lifebelts have as usual been retrieved and returned and many footballs and other potentially dangerous items removed.
George with LG Ben went down to the area of banking just upstream of the tidal weir on the north bank and removed a number of self seeded trees and bushes next to the fencing. These trees and bushes assist persons to climb onto the fencing and also block the view of CCTV. This is all the more necessary in view of there being several large events coming up in the Park.
You may have noticed in the press in the past week that Officer George rescued a woman from the River Clyde. We are glad to report that the woman is doing fine.
Sunday 25th April
Tony and I had just returned from a search downstream to Erskine when we were informed by Police Officers that a 10yr old boy was missing in the Glasgow Green area.
Tony and I immediately launched, one going upstream, one going downstream. Lifeguards Riverwatchers and the weirman were contacted to keep a lookout along with members of rowing clubs and general public walking, cycling or running along the towpath.
The boy was located safe and well a short time later on the south side. I thank all the persons who gave assistance in this matter and assure you that your help was greatly appreciated.
George Parsonage
Erskine Searches
Recently Officers and lifeguards have been involved in searching the River Clyde at Erskine for missing persons. A Clydeport Harbour Master Launch had been put at the Society’s disposal and regular searches carried out as far downriver as 1 mile past Bowling.
These searches have recently been concluded which hopefully has brought closure to the families concerned.
The Clydeport Paddle this year took the form of an intensive search of the river by GHS personnel for the three missing people.
5 GHS craft, bank patrollers and a Port Authority launch combed the river and riverbank between City Centre and Bowling.
Although the search had a negative result, it was an excellent training outing for all concerned, from the yellow high viz vests, to the use of a whistle system for communication.
Our thanks to all who took part.