CRT and Outside Contractors

[cotswoldsman]

Ok not sure if this counts as going off topic (don't want to upset the off topic police) last year when organising the Walsall Clean Up there was a problem with the locks for boats to get to Walsall it required the water to be pumped out, the problem was CRT no longer own any water pumps (bit weird for a organisation looking after water) anyway the company that they arranged to hire the pump from never showed up so 3 CRT employees did nothing all day it turned up at 3 PM the following day and then took 2 hours to sort out. So 3 CRT employees for 2 days because company contracted to provide pump were not able to deliver pump for nearly 2 days

Edited January 7, 2015 by cotswoldsman

[Stilllearning]

SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is a system operating with coded signals over communication channels so as to provide control of remote equipment (using typically one communication channel per remote station). The control system may be combined with a data acquisition system by adding the use of coded signals over communication channels to acquire information about the status of the remote equipment for display or for recording functions.^[1] It is a type of industrial control system (ICS). Industrial control systems are computer-based systems that monitor and control industrial processes that exist in the physical world. SCADA systems historically distinguish themselves from other ICS systems by being large-scale processes that can include multiple sites, and large distances.^[2]

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADA

 

It is the electronic remote systems with which CRT control back pumping

Thank you Ray

[Allan(nb Albert)]

 

Last year the lock keeper at Salterhebble, (Calder and Hebble) told us that although the grass cutting was part of the national contract with Fountains, it was actually all being carried out in that area by teams travelling up from Essex, who stayed up there during the week, and went home just for their weekends.

 

It seems, (as so often happens), that in this instance Fountains were acting as middlemen, but subsequently onward subcontracting the actual vegetation work to further smaller companies, (I did not think to enquire if those doing it are "badged" as Fountains, or using Fountains equipment or transport).

 

I'm not making a judgement here on the wisdom of CRT being party to such arrangements, because I guess ultimately it is about the price for the job, the quality of the work, and adherence to any standards, including safety standards.

 

However, I still can't help thinking it is a shame that they need to have teams driving maybe 200 miles in each direction to achieve the end goal. It would seem to make more sense for grass cutters based in Essex to cut grass in Essex, and to rely on those in West Yorkshire to cut grass in West Yorkshire.

 

 

Fountains often sub contract. They also employ a number of ex BW staff who were told transfer or be made redundant.

 

I think it was in late 2010 that Vince Moran told BW's board that he was shedding 100 staff due to outsourcing with a number to be employed by Fountains (I am not sure of the final figures).

 

I met two that had transfered on the Southern Stratford a couple of years ago who told me that they no longer took pride in the work because they were moved round all over the place (they had been working on playing fields the day before). Whilst working for BW they felt ownership of the patch they covered.

[DeanS]

In layman's terms.

 

A SCADA system lets an operator see a graphic of the control system....all the pumps, valves etc, and their state (open/closed/on/off etc).

By touching/clicking on the screen, the operators "input" is converted by the computer to send a signal to a pump or valve etc which then starts/stops/opens/closes it.

 

The SCADA system lets operators see a vast number of "conditions" such as level, flowrate, temp, as well as use colours to show alarms..such as low level, high level, high pressure etc.

 

 

(and a quick note. Going off topic is not the end of the world. Having an escalating personal spat between 1 or more posters, can ruin the enjoyment of the thread for everyone else.)

[furnessvale]

 

 

However, I still can't help thinking it is a shame that they need to have teams driving maybe 200 miles in each direction to achieve the end goal. It would seem to make more sense for grass cutters based in Essex to cut grass in Essex, and to rely on those in West Yorkshire to cut grass in West Yorkshire.

 

 

The M62 in the morning and evening peaks is a sight to behold, with white vans full of brickies, electricians, plasterers etc going from Lancashire into Yorkshire to work, and an equal number of white vans full of, yes you know who, coming the other way.

 

I blame the cheap cost of fuel. God knows what it will be like now they are giving it away.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[BruceinSanity]

The M62 in the morning and evening peaks is a sight to behold, with white vans full of brickies, electricians, plasterers etc going from Lancashire into Yorkshire to work, and an equal number of white vans full of, yes you know who, coming the other way.

 

I blame the cheap cost of fuel. God knows what it will be like now they are giving it away.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

It's the same barminess as trucks full of animals driving up and down the country taking them to be slaughtered, rather than killing and butchering them locally and trucking the meat to where it's wanted.

[furnessvale]

It's the same barminess as trucks full of animals driving up and down the country taking them to be slaughtered, rather than killing and butchering them locally and trucking the meat to where it's wanted.

Indeed, and what an excellent way to spread foot and mouth and swine fever it becomes.

 

This is one of the few things we cannot blame on the EU.

 

AIUI the EU requirement that every slaughterhouse shall have access to a vet, was translated by our civil servants into every slaughterhouse shall have a resident vet. At a stroke costs went through the roof, so many closed leading to mass trucking of live animals.

 

Not being a lover of things EU, I will be very pleased if someone corrects me to say it is actually an EU regulation.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[peterboat]

I have to say the contractors cutting our grass and vegetation last year were the best ever, the final cut was a job done well, trees saplings all the stuff that causes real problems as they grow down and break up the canal bed gone and the ends poisoned to stop them regrowing.

 

Peter

[boathunter]

I was once paid to drive from east anglia to stanstead in a hired car, delivered to my door, fly to Edinburgh, pick up another arranged hire car, drive to a golf course, measure ONE thing and return. I suggested somebody from the Edinburgh office could pop over, give me a ring from site and we sort it out, but apparently no.

Edited January 8, 2015 by boathunter

[Mike Todd]

In the end it is the total cost of the job that matters - large organisations (and joe public) have a tendency to optimise compenents to the detriment of the whole.

 

Increasingly, with the specialist requirements of compliance in specific areas, economies of scale can produce surprising results.

[Machpoint005]

It's the same barminess as trucks full of animals driving up and down the country taking them to be slaughtered, rather than killing and butchering them locally and trucking the meat to where it's wanted.

 

Of course the traditional way would be to make the animals walk to where they were needed, then slaughter them...

Not being a lover of things EU, I will be very pleased if someone corrects me to say it is actually an EU regulation.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

Whether or no, George, it's the Law of Unintended Consequences in all its power.

[BD3Bill]

 

Heyford

 

It bloody luxury to have the whole width of the canal back.

 

Now all we need is for the channel to move back to the middle.

 

Maybe the dredgers will be following

 

......... no, silly me, it was a flying pig silhouetted against a blue moon

 

It is good news.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but surely the passage of boats will even up the channel as a result of having full width returned?

(I realise this is impractical for deep draughted boats which don't want to get stemmed -up)

 

Or will the whole channel end up generally shallower over time?

 

I have got very proficient at getting unstuck on the Oxford summit level now