For underwater cables I wouldn't say non-expert: the trade that has the expertise generally pays around USD 60k per annum.
Being around 2 kA discharges underwater is probably not a great idea, however. Automation would be one possibility, raising required expertise and lower required headcount. A little searching indicates that if one is willing to acquire a ROV, there are at least two other commercially available cutting technologies, both of which are normally used for much larger cuts than a 20 cm cable bundle.
Much modern infrastructure relies on people not being jerks, but then again, modern society also relies on people not running around shooting each other, which seems to work.
(except when it doesn't: this is why I am looking into Yugoslavia now. How does one get from socialist brotherhood to shooting each other? I have colleagues, yugo refugees, whose conspiracy theory is that the conflict was externally stoked, but I currently find people being stupid to be a more parsimonious explanation.)
For underwater cables I wouldn't say non-expert: the trade that has the expertise generally pays around USD 60k per annum.
Being around 2 kA discharges underwater is probably not a great idea, however. Automation would be one possibility, raising required expertise and lower required headcount. A little searching indicates that if one is willing to acquire a ROV, there are at least two other commercially available cutting technologies, both of which are normally used for much larger cuts than a 20 cm cable bundle.
Much modern infrastructure relies on people not being jerks, but then again, modern society also relies on people not running around shooting each other, which seems to work.
(except when it doesn't: this is why I am looking into Yugoslavia now. How does one get from socialist brotherhood to shooting each other? I have colleagues, yugo refugees, whose conspiracy theory is that the conflict was externally stoked, but I currently find people being stupid to be a more parsimonious explanation.)