Concerns raised over London Fields Lido safety

London Fields Lido. Photograph: Hackney Council

A Hackney-based safety expert has raised concerns over what he says are potential electrical risks at one of the borough’s best used pools.

Garry Saunders, a chartered health and safety practitioner who regularly swims at London Fields Lido, said he believed “hazards” were being overlooked by the pool’s staff.

He said he had witnessed an “explosion” from a water jet cable that became trapped under a door at the lido last month.

Hackney Council confirmed they had investigated the incident and said they had found no evidence of any danger. But Mr Saunders said he was dissatisfied with their response, adding: “If they have had a full investigation and are being open and transparent, they should say what exactly their findings are.”

Guidelines produced by the HSE, an independent watchdog, state that pool operators should consider fitting restraints on mains-powered electrical equipment being used next to swimming pools or erecting barriers to stop such machinery falling into the water, but Mr Saunders said neither of these precautions had been taken at the lido.

He said: “The jet was three feet from the edge of the pool and the cable run was about 25 metres. If someone walking past had accidentally knocked it into the water, it could have been fatal to the 20 or 30 swimmers.”

On 9 June Mr Saunders says he witnessed “an explosion, a flash and bang” from the water jet’s cable after it became crushed under an automatic door.

The council has attributed this incident to a residual-current device “tripping out” after experiencing a fault – something managers say proves the machinery was up to scratch as it was the result of in-built safety features. A spokeswoman added that lido staff had since been appraised on the safe use of extension leads and portable appliances.

A council spokeswoman said: “Customer safety is paramount and issues raised are always taken seriously. An incident occurred at the lido and a thorough investigation concluded that at no time was there any potential risk to people using the pool at the Lido.”

The Citizen requested a copy of the council’s investigation into the incident but was told that it was an internal document and not publicly available.