Whilst I had always anticipate problems employing private security guards to manage COVID hotel quarantine the scale of disclosed failings is rather shocking. Information released to the media by the South Australian government opposition revealed 99 security guards in that state have been dismissed or stood down over various failures on their part. Offences include sleeping on the job, drunk, etc.
State police forces have not wanted to provide hotel quarantine guards as they only have sufficient resources to manage (debateable) existing requirements. State Governments have been reluctant to ask or accept Federal Defence Force personnel. One assumes because they are concerned it will further dilute their ‘state rights’.
The salaries of security guards are low and it’s not unknown for them to make ends meet by having secondary employment. Moreover a boring job either attracts people of limited intellect or leads to poor performance. A boring job requires regular rotation of personnel to avoid complacency and lapses. I remember my various backpacking trips through the 3rd world and the 3rd week was the dangerous one. The first two weeks you’re on heightened alert. It’s the 3rd week where you start to become complacent. Having the same security guards do the same boring job for 10 months will almost certainly result in things going wrong!
One wonders just how bad the security guard issue has been in other states? This may well be the tip of the iceberg!
Whilst Australia has a problem with quarantine absconders or avoiders, we are not in the same dire situation as the UK where Boris has got his pandemic response horribly wrong in opting to employ the cocker spaniel strategy. For those readers who haven’t heard of the cocker spaniel strategy let me explain. A kindly elderly widow was given a cocker spaniel puppy as a companion. She knew it needed its tail docked but didn’t want to hurt the puppy. She therefore decided to cut off an inch every week. Boris has employed the cocker spaniel strategy! He now faces two major problems. He has to introduce hard lock-down measures and also convince a disgruntled and COVID weary general public its necessary. Good luck with that!
At home my thoughts have turned to the pool mermaid. She currently appears for her daily swim, however that may change when the weather cools. I’ve been thinking of a way to heat the pool, thus extending the swimming months. Yes, I could buy a system and have it installed. Instead I’m thinking of making one from beer cans. This has two advantages; it will be cheaper and someone (me) will have to drink the beer.
Google sketchUp was very useful in designing the prototype.
The cans form 10 solar collector contained in an insulated box with a polycarbonate front panel. Vertical copper pipe through the centre of the cans connect to a top and bottom copper pipe. Cold water enters via the bottom and hot out the top. I suspect the most difficult part of the project is going to be drinking the contents of the cans.
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