The municipal swimming pool of Auvelais was set to reopen this spring following being under construction since February 2021. However, an accident occurred as a 15-meter-long beam that held up the roof fell overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, thereby delaying the reopening indefinitely. Fortunately, no workers or swimmers were hurt during the incident. The mayor, Jean-Charles Luperto, commented that work has been suspended and the immediate goal is to secure the roof as the others might also separate. The municipal administration and the Sambr’Athlétic Autonomous Municipal Authority are investigating the cause and responsibilities involved in the incident in order to determine when the site can restart. Although initial reports suggest that the building will be secure from Thursday, it may take a while to procure the necessary equipment to complete the task.
There were only a handful of weeks left before the reopening of the municipal swimming pool of Auvelais, under construction since February 2021. The first dive was even announced for this spring during the ceremony of wishes to municipal staff. Unfortunately, this will not take place for an indefinite period. The cause: a beam 15 meters long, which spans the entire width of the pool and supports the roof, fell overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. “It was the workers who discovered the extent of the damage when they arrived at the site on Wednesday morning, comments the mayor, Jean-Charles Luperto. We have suspended the site. Even if we are having bad luck, I have the reflex to say we averted disaster: no workers or swimmers were below when she fell.”
The immediate objective is to secure the roof. “Because it might be that the others will also separate. There is a real danger, especially since we are still talking regarding 15-meter-long beams. We therefore mobilized the company in charge of the site, an engineer in stability and the site manager, Inasep, to find stabilization formulas. We hope that the building will be secure from this Thursday but, unfortunately, the equipment is not found in a snap.”
In parallel with the security emergency, the municipal administration and the Sambr’Athlétic Autonomous Municipal Authority have seized all the parties involved and their insurance in order to establish the circumstances of this incident and the resulting responsibilities. The roof was not part of the renovation plan. A study had even validated the maintenance of these beams which have, in the meantime, been repainted. It is only when the cause and the responsibilities are determined that the site can then restart. Might as well write that there will be no more movement in the pool for several months, at least.
The incident at the municipal swimming pool of Auvelais may have caused disappointment for those eagerly anticipating its reopening, but thankfully no one was hurt. The safety of workers and potential swimmers is of utmost importance, and the immediate focus is on securing the roof of the building. Investigation into the event and the resulting responsibilities has also begun. While it is unfortunate that the site will experience further delays, it is crucial that full precautions are taken to ensure that such accidents do not occur once more in the future.
