The Role of HSEs Diving Inspectorate

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The Role of HSEs Diving Inspectorate

• The Role of HSEs Diving Inspectorate and a Look
  at Diving Accidents

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Peter Sieniewicz

• Principal Inspector
• Southern Diving Inspection Team

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Programme

• Structure of HSEs Diving Inspection Groups
• Roles and responsibilities
• Inspection
• Investigations
• Diving accidents
• Case Histories

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• HID Offshore Divisions Diving Group

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(No Transcript)
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Northern Team 01224 252 598
Central Team 01603 828 000
Southern Team 01752 276 300
DOST 020 7717 6757
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• Inspection, Investigation Enforcement
• Information Advice

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UK Health and Safety Legislation

• Health Safety at Work Act 1974
• Diving at Work Regulations 1997
• Management of Health Safety at Work Regulations
  1999
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
  1994
• Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment
  Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
• Provision Use of Work Equipment Regulations
  1998 (PUWER)
• Noise at Work Regulations 1989
• Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations
  1992

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..other Regulations

• ... require action in response to particular
  hazards, or in industries where hazards are
  particularly high
• 
  ..Diving!

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Diving Group Activities (Proactive)

• Raise profile / understanding of Diving
  Regulations, guidance and good working practice
• Promotional visits to diving contractors and
  clients
• Inspection of diving operations

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Diving Group Activities (Inspection)

• Manning levels
• Project Plans/Risk Assessment
• Emergency Planning
• Qualifications/Supervisors Competence
• HSE Medical (Certificate of Medical Fitness to
  Dive) for instructor and paid staff/Rescue Divers
• Oxygen/First Aid Kit
• Operations Log

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Diving Group Activities Reactive

• Investigate accidents/dangerous occurrences (HSE
  is aware there is significant under reporting of
  accidents/DCI within the recreational diving
  sector)
• Investigation of complaints
• Enforcement of regulations

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Fatal accident investigation

• Initially work under the Work-Related Deaths
  protocol with the Police , however HSE may
  conduct its own investigation

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Accident Investigation

• Police tend to look at individuals
• HSE look broadly at
• Equipment
• Procedures
• People (Divers)

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Accidents

• HSE PARAS Report 1995
• Looked at 1000 diving accidents including 286
  diving fatalities
• However of all of these only 8 were not
  preventable on the evidence we had
• Statistical risk 1 in 5000 participants which is
  typical for adventure sports

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Principal causes

• Entrapment/entanglement
• Air embolism
• Loss of consciousness
• Reckless deep dive
• Solo dive
• Prior medical conditions

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Accidents on the South Coast

• Average 6 to 10 fatalities per year
• 1998 5 Fatal Accidents, of which 4 were in less
  than 5m of water shallow does not mean safe!
• Average 150-200 DCI incidents per year (this is
  increasing)

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Accidents on the South Coast 2005

• 10 fatalities
• 2 at work, 1 Heart Attack, 1 Unknown
• 6 still missing. HSE have provided technical
  advice in all cases
• Concerns over medical histories a factor in 6
• Histories of the deceased/missing include Asthma
  (3), High Blood Pressure(2), significantly over
  weight(2), anti depressants, prior DCI treatment
  (within 24 hours of the dive) (1), significant
  alcohol intake (1) ( a litre of vodka a night),
  viagra,
• Cause of death is only as good as the autopsy and
  pathologist

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Case History 1

• Female Age 49 with a history of high blood
  pressure, panic attacks, diabetes, smoker,
  overweight and had a mild aortic regurgitation.
• Seen by her GP and declared fit to dive. He had
  not seen the medical guidelines.
• During pool training was found motionless in the
  water. Recovered to the surface and regained
  consciousness but began to deteriorate.
• Was resuscitated and subsequently died 2 days
  later.
• Cause of death irreversible cerebral anoxia due
  to pulmonary oedema due to immersion

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Case Histories 2

• Males (2) both with recent histories of heavy
  head colds.
• 1- After surfacing it was noticed that there was
  a change in the resonance in his voice. No other
  signs. Placed on O2. After an hour it was
  noticed that the diver had crepitous to the right
  of his larynx. Kept in overnight in hospital
• 2- Diver reported after a days diving a shortness
  of breath but was not adversely affected.
  Following a poor nights sleep due to a tight
  chest and neck pain it was diagnosed that the
  diver had subcutaneous emphysema.
• Considerable work is being done by HSEs Human
  Factors Team on the impairment in performance as
  a result of heavy colds and flu together with the
  medication that goes along with it.

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Case Histories 3

• 3- An experienced diver surfaced after a 240
  minute dive and reported well. After about an
  hour the diver complained of having a sore neck
  which appears swollen and his voice had
  noticeably changed. The swelling started to move
  down his chest. It is then reported by the
  supervisor that his chest feels like bubble
  wrap. On the previous day the diver was
  involved with a free flow diving incident which
  result in a rapid surfacing.
• The diver was sent to hospital where it was
  confirmed as subcutaneous emphysema. A small
  pneumothorax was also found during a chest x-ray.

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Summary

• Diving is recognized as a high risk activity
• Most diving accidents are as a result of multiple
  causes
• Generally the most common reported cause of death
  is drowning as a result of a number of
  contributory causes