Electrician needed for artificial cave build

[PeteHall]

Getting way off topic now, but we're in idle chat, so what the hell!

So if these (club?) cavers only go caving once a month

I would be incredibly surprised if the average caver went caving as often as once a month.

In all my clubs, there are the keen, core members who cave every week, some several times a week, but the vast majority of members get out a couple of times per year at most. I know plenty of paid up members who go caving less than once per year.

 

[ZombieCake]

Are there any pictures of what Elle is looking to achieve?

 

[Pitlamp]

Trying to stay on topic - just saying - Ian P's comments above have made me warm to the idea of having some sort of emergency lighting system (thanks for the perspective).

But the principle of training people to cave properly is important and I still think there's a very good argument for individual portable emergency lighting (i.e the usual back up torch) over some artificial system in an already artificial "cave".

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Low voltage lighting systems used to be popular for garden lighting as the cable needn't be either armoured or buried.

Is it planned that the emergency lighting is triggered from the "control room" by the staff or from inside the cave itself by the users?

 

[Ian P]

But the principle of training people to cave properly is important

I have a very strong dislike of ?artificial caves? from a perspective of trying to encourage people to go caving.

Over the years introducing a good few thousand people (both young and old) to the sport of caving the NUMBER 1 ?fear? and concern without a shadow of doubt is small tight spaces. On a well run ?proper? cave session these ?fears? can be progressively eased and often ultimately enjoyed.

A single bad experience on their first trip can and will put someone off caving for life.

I have had to do a lot of persuading to youngsters who are terrified of going  caving because of their bad experience of ?caving? at a school residential. They hadn?t been ?caving? they had gone through some artificial pipes and passages. Which for ?entertainment? were dark and tight. The centre just called it caving.

Calling them something else like ?underground obstacle course? would be better 

On a slight tangent. I went to an artificial canyon park in France. The instructors could turn off BIG waterfalls at the touch of a button. Absolutely fantastic attraction.

 

[nearlywhite]

It is. Evidence supports it.

[citation needed]

 

[JoshW]

Went to an amazing artificial cave system in Bradford, had an enclosed abseil tower that led into the middle of the system.

Think it was green lane school, think they had issues shortly after building it about some sort of inspection (possibly fire) don?t quote me on that though!

 

[Ian P]

The Green Lane one was a ?proper? artificial cave including chambers with artificial formations. It was built out of fibre glass sections of shaped ?tubing? (similar to the BCA artificial cave), this was all housed in an old swimming pool with a false floor over the top. I think it was built with some grant money and part of the deal was for it to be available to other non school users.
Fibre glass dust and the fact that the procedure for dealing with someone stuck was to unbolt the sections were some of the challenges to overcome. Not sure what happened to it but it was a large financial investment, so hopefully it is still been put to good use. 

 

[Paul Greenfield]

In total agreement with Ian P
I have been involved with designing, installing and training staff to operate "caving" attractions in Activity Centres, Council Sports Centres etc for some years
If it is a man-made, indoor structure then it comes under all the standard building rules:- emergency lighting, evacuation procedure, air circulation etc.
This can be done with `pop open` hatches, LED lighting etc.
Staff (typically teenage non-cavers) are trained to brief youngsters, lead them through some sections, let them explore for themselves at times, sweep the system if the fire alarm goes off etc.
This is not intended as a substitute for caving, it is a fun experience for kids, trying something they would otherwise never get the change to experience.
I do know of a kid`s activity centre that will put 10,000 youngsters through their system every year, almost all have a great experience.
I agree this NOT an artificial cave, it is a maze, usually fibre-glass / plywood, but we always struggle for a suitable name.
I know I am leaving myself wide open to abuse here; but perhaps someone on this thread can come up with a better name.