Chatham's bomb-busters - Underwater Contractor Magazine

Chatham's bomb-busters Checking metal-detector tubes during a survey for unexploded bombs near a bridge abutment, Stratford, London.

Among diving companies currently specialising in the survey and clearance of explosive ordnance is Medway Diving Contractors. Established in 1972 by Jim Hutchison, a former Royal Navy diver, Medway Diving Contractors is based in Chatham, Kent. In 1976, Jim's son Peter joined the company as a diver and is now a Company Director and Senior Diving Supervisor.

Medway Diving Contractors operates internationally, maintaining a fleet of vehicles which are fully equipped with LP/HP SSDE air systems. In addition, fully containerised dive systems enable the company, a member of the Association of Diving Contractors, to undertake projects of all sizes and duration. It is currently in the process of acquiring ISO 9001:2000 status.
"To meet the ever-increasing demand for underwater contracting, Medway Diving Contractors carries a full range of specialist equipment including hydraulic tool systems, and overhead and cantilever gantry systems for diver entry into the water," says Peter Hutchison. "A wide range of underwater tasks is undertaken, including construction and demolition, survey & inspection work, ship repair/inspections, mechanical installation, mechanical maintenance and underwater mud clearance."
Typical of these tasks is dealing with ordnance contamination during development projects in many of the world's commercial ports, dockyards and naval bases.
"Explosive ordnance can be encountered when it is least expected," says Peter Hutchison. "In some cases this can be as a result of 'poor housekeeping' at the site or the dumping or unauthorised disposal of munitions and ordnance by military personnel or from civilian companies."
Another aspect of Medway Diving Contractors' international workload is support of the explosive ordnance survey, clearance and disposal tasks carried out by BACTEC International Limited, a leading Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) company based in Rochester, Kent.
"The two companies have a long track-record together, and have worked on projects ranging from small explosive ordnance surveys to large underwater clearance operations," says Peter Hutchison.
BACTEC has developed specific EOD services for the marine and underwater contracting industry and for all marine environments. These services include marine explosive ordnance surveys using specialist sensors deployed from survey vessels to locate metal anomalies. Most recently, BACTEC has developed a new system for deploying specialist detection sensors from a sea-going catamaran.
With the support of Medway Diving Contractors, BACTEC can also deploy its EOD clearance divers to carry out seabed surveys, investigate targets and undertake area clearance as necessary.