Aerial view of the Watford Lodge area, showing the location of the accident in question just at the mouth of the southern portal of Watford Lodge tunnel.We had the task of digging a number of trial holes within Watford Lodge tunnel, in order to allow this work to be undertaken, a T2 was taken in order to allow us to work within the tunnel in safety. Les Wilson was taking the T2's from a signal some half a mile away. And Steve Valentine being concerned about the possibility Les Wilson would not being able to contact him when he was in the tunnel doing the trial holes, stationed me at the tunnel mouth where Les Wilson could contact us if he needed to give the block up. When this occurred, I would relay the message to those in the tunnel informing them of the need to clear the tunnel so that the block could be given up. Maintaining a position in the cess wasn't ideal as one couldn't see into the tunnel, you had to be on track to see into the tunnel to where they were working. The condition of the catch pit had been noted prior to work commencing, when we were waiting for Les Wilson to get the block.
We had had the block for something like twenty minutes when Les Wilson phoned us up and said that Rugby box had been in contact and would be needing the road back shortly, I relayed this fact to Mr Valentine and the need for them to vacate the tunnel ASAP, this they started to do, I was in conversation with Mr Valentine as he and the others were coming out of the tunnel. Mr Valentine with whom I was in conversation with was almost out of the tunnel and almost up to where I was standing, when some of the others also coming out walked between me and Mr Valentine blocking my view of him.
When you are talking to some one and are in deep conversation with them, I would say it is not an entirely unnatural reaction when someone happens to walk between you both blocking your view, that you do have a tendency to move one way or another to reestablish that visual connection between oneself and the person you are talking to. Unfortunately in my case when I did this very thing, unconsciously, I wasn't aware of how close I was to the catch pit being in that conversation with Mr Valentine. I trod on it, it gave way immediately and I ended up in it.
I extracted myself from the catch pit and stood clear, phoning Les Wilson and confirming to him that everyone had cleared the tunnel and was in a position of safety. The block was given up and we awaited the next opportunity to take a block so we could complete the work in the tunnel.
This second blockage was eventually forthcoming and the work was completed without further ado. Before leaving the site, the lids of the catch pit I fell in were fished out and reinstated, but this time without the sheet of Geo blanket in between. Low and behold the lids fitted perfectly, you could walk on them, jump on them, dance on them, and you would never fall in it ever. The small thing like a sheet of Geo blanket inserted were it shouldn't have been, made the catch pit unsafe and dangerous, made it an accident waiting to happen.
Photo of the main injuries sustained in the fall, extensive grazing and bruising to the thigh.
Picture obtained from another source showing the south portal of Watford Lodge tunnel. Visible in the picture is the catch pit with the sheet of Geo blanket in place, picture taken before work had commenced, everyone was waiting for the T2 block.
A number of catch pits in the area had been so treated, and it spoke volumes about the individuals who had done it, bone idle. Rather than do a bit of shovel work clearing the top ring, lifting it off, putting the Geo blanket sheet in place, putting the ring back on it and then putting the lids back on seated correctly. They chose to just lift the lids off, lob the the Geo blanket sheet down and then lob the lids back on, not even bothering to ensure whether or not it was safe or not. The lids were incapable of sitting correctly in the top ring of the catch pit because of the Geo blanket sheet, they were either ignorant of the potential hazard they were creating or otherwise they didn't give a blind f*"k about it or anyone who might be harmed as a result.
Short video clip of Watford Lodge tunnel south portal, the catch pit is visible in the last seconds of the video. Visible is the sheet of black Geo blanket which prevented the grids on the catch pit sitting correctly in the top ring of the catch pit. A number of the catch pits in the area are in this unsafe condition, accidents waiting to happen, left in an unsafe condition by someone.
