Diving Safety Lines February 2000 1. Changing the Way We Do Business 2. Mishap Reporting Revisited 3. Master Diver's Corner 4. Safety Survey Preparation Tips 5. Diving Statistics 6. Assistance Required 7. Help! 8. Writers Wanted 1. Changing the Way We Do Business For those who did not see or hear, we have changed the way in which we disseminate our schedule of diving safety surveys. We now notify commands of upcoming surveys with a "Diving Safety Survey Schedule" message. Different from our monthly message (DSL-MSG) to AIG 7702, it contains a schedule of upcoming survey dates, as well as a summary of survey events. Changes made to the schedule will be presented in subsequent messages. This new procedure replaces the pre-survey letters we sent to commands prior to their respective surveys. Speaking of surveys, contrary to a joint COMNAVSURFPAC/ COMNAVSURFLANT IDTC update message (COMNAVSURFPAC 031846Z JAN 00), we have not changed our safety surveys, in name or function, to optional assist visits. In accordance with OPNAVINST 3150.27A (Navy Diving Program), diving safety surveys still are mandatory. Other changes we have made...To help you prepare for surveys, we have posted diving survey information on our web site, www.safetycenter.navy.mil/afloat/divers/diverdefault.htm. You now can download survey checklists, diving references, NAVSEA diving advisories, old DSL messages, as well as DRS Version 4.5. If you don't have access to the Internet, contact us by phone, message, or mail, and we will send a diskette containing the above information. POC: LT Nelson, Ext. 7085 tnelson@safetycenter.navy.mil 2. Mishap Reporting Revisited In response to numerous questions regarding diving mishap reporting, we direct your attention, once again, to diving advisory 97-01 (Diving Mishap Investigation and Reporting) which directed all diving units to utilize Chapter A6 of OPNAVINST 5100.19C in investigating and reporting mishaps and hyperbaric treatments. In the instruction (with Change 2 dated 30 Jul 99), commands are directed to submit, in accordance with Appendix A6-G, a Diving Mishap and Hyperbaric Treatment Report for mishaps involving Navy-trained divers performing on-duty, working dives. The bottom line is that the mishap victim must have been a Navy-trained diver, and the mishap must have occurred during an operational dive. For off-duty and recreational diving mishaps, including recreational dives involving Navy-trained divers, an Off-duty Recreation, Athletics, and Home Safety (RAHS) Mishap Report should be submitted instead (in accordance with Appendix A6-H). With these facts in mind, I will address the reporting of aviation bends. I have received several hyperbaric treatment reports that deal with aviation physiology technicians or military aviators who have suffered from decompression sickness during altitude chamber evolutions or flight operations. Reporting to us is not required in this case. Paragraph 5c of Appendix A6-G states that cases of aviation bends are reported per OPNAVINST 3750.6Q, The Naval Aviation Safety Program. According to the instruction (Chapter 3, para 318), a Physiological Episode Hazard Report should be submitted instead. This is a naval aviation safety report and has nothing to do with diving. It is also generated by the mishap victim's command and not by the treatment facility. The bottom line, again: Treat the affected individual in the chamber but do not submit a Diving Mishap and Hyperbaric Treatment Report for an aviation bends case. If you have questions about the reporting of diving mishaps, refer to OPNAVINST 5100.19C CH-2 or contact me at the Safety Center. POC: HMC(SW/SS/DV) Keltner, Ext. 7086/7118 tkeltner@safetycenter.navy.mil 3. Master Diver's Corner I would like to thank those commands that provided input for the new, Windows-based DRS program. As stated during the recent Working Divers' Conference, we hope to have the new version out to the fleet by the end of 2000. Now I want to ask all of you how we can improve the way we conduct diving safety surveys. I know many of you feel a survey is just another inspection that takes time out of your busy schedule. In truth, however, a survey is not an inspection, but a tool you can use to assess your dive lockers. Please let us know how we can enhance that tool and help you to better gauge and improve your safety posture. We are here to help you in any way that we can. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at the phone number or e-mail address below. POC: HTCM(SW/MDV) Matteoni, Ext. 7082 lmatteoni@safetycenter.navy.mil 4. Safety Survey Preparation Tips Having just returned from a survey trip, a couple of suggestions come to mind to help you prepare for your next diving safety survey. a. Lay out, in order, everything on the administrative and training portions of the checklist prior to the survey team's arrival. In addition, make your divers' service and medical records easily available. Both of these suggestions will help to make the survey run smoother and faster. b. Troubles with PMS are like dominoes: Once we spot a problem (e.g., situational requirements not recorded), we usually start digging deeper into other areas of your maintenance program. If you are having problems understanding PMS, ask for help. If possible, arrange to spend several days with a 3M coordinator at a major command. POC: ENC(SW/DV) McLaughlin, Ext. 7083 tmclaughlin@safetycenter.navy.mil 5. Diving Statistics Here are some of the latest statistics on diving within the Department of Defense. These charts show the breakdown by dive purpose and dive apparatus for calendar years 1997 through 2000. DIVE PURPOSE 1997 1998 1999 2000 4 year Total SPEC WAR OPS 11575 10197 11022 67 32861 REQUAL 3906 4818 5772 31 14527 SEARCH 1984 2894 3548 26 8452 RESEARCH 2994 1833 1769 6 6602 SALVAGE 615 1529 801 0 2945 SELECTION PRESSURE TEST 339 170 127 9 645 STUDENT TRAINING DIVE 7665 14248 14005 0 35918 INSIDE TENDER HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT 166 176 143 8 493 INSTRUCTOR SAFETY OBSERVER 2955 2853 2250 22 8080 INSIDE TENDER PRESSURE TEST 428 315 177 6 926 SECURITY SWIM 382 275 91 0 748 UNDERWATER CONST OPS 2241 2268 3318 0 7827 OTHER 707 1273 1377 91 3448 INDOCTRINATION 129 301 194 43 667 INSPECTION 2732 1950 1507 40 6229 SHIPS HUSBANDRY/REPAIR 14700 14587 8939 388 38614 RECOVERY 710 855 383 0 1948 INSIDE TENDER RECOMPRESSION TREATMENT 213 236 115 1 565 INSIDE TENDER CLINICAL HYPERBARIC TREATMENT 703 976 524 17 2220 EOD OPS 6692 6773 6341 38 19844 INSIDE TENDER AV BENDS 38 39 26 0 103 ICE DIVING 0 13 122 0 135 AIDS TO NAVIGATION 0 29 14 0 43 ( blank ) 0 3 0 0 3 Totals per year 61874 68611 62565 793 193843 DIVE APPARATUS 1997 1998 1999 2000 4 year Totals SCUBA OPEN 27715 30420 26375 240 84750 CHAMBER 3033 3107 2105 93 8338 LAR-5 11237 10769 16695 0 38701 NONE (FREE ASCENT) 9 0 53 0 62 FFM SCUBA 178 257 197 0 632 MK-20 9719 10204 7449 260 27632 MK-21 MOD O 2042 3277 1348 21 6688 MK-21 MOD 1 5024 6917 5510 137 17588 MK-16 2390 2952 2375 0 7717 EXPERIMENTAL 525 695 456 42 1718 MK-22 2 13 0 0 15 SUPERLITE 17B 0 0 2 0 2 Total per year 61874 68611 62565 793 193843 If there are other specific statistics that you or your command needs to have, please contact us with the details. We will attempt to retrieve the data for you as fast and as accurately as possible. POC: MMC(SS/DV) Gest, Ext. 7103 kgest@safetycenter.navy.mil 7. Help! I'm looking for a little help in the area of e-mail addresses. As some of you may know, e-mail is a highly effective communication tool with one tooth grinding exception: Obsolete e-mail addresses. If you've ever generated an e-mail to your entire address book and received numerous "system undeliverable" responses, then you know what I'm talking about. The primary cause of obsolete e-mail addresses is that the personnel to whom they are assigned leave the command. When John Doe transfers, his "jdoe@navy.mil" address ceases to exist. Not that big of a deal except for the fact that John Doe usually doesn't tell anyone, via e-mail, that he is moving on and that someone else will be assigned his collateral duties (e.g., DRS coordinator). As a result, I am unable to send your dive locker important DRS information, and you are unable to receive it. Not to worry. I believe I have the solution to this annoying problem. At the Naval Safety Center, the divers have a group e-mail address for our entire office in addition to our individual addresses. As most of you know, the group address is divesalvage@safetycenter.navy.mil. The beauty of this concept is that when we travel or when individuals transfer, the lines of communication are never cut. Here is my recommendation: To ensure your command continues to receive information from the Naval Safety Center after you transfer, have your ADP or LAN guru create a group- or title-specific e-mail address. If you already have such an address, or if you are able to have one created, please drop me a line from that address. Make sure you type "Group E-Mail Address" in the subject line and your command name and UIC in the text (if you don't, I'll have a nasty time figuring out who you are as I update my address book). Thanks in advance for your help. POC: MMC(SS/DV) Gest, Ext. 7103 kgest@safetycenter.navy.mil 6. Assistance Required Navy divers often do not acknowledge the existence of divers in other branches of the military. However, these "diving brethren" need your help, knowledge, and experience, especially with implementing the Navy's 3M system. Several of your counterparts have already been helped by local, Navy diving commands and are very grateful for the assistance. If you know of a unit that could use some help, please stop by to offer some assistance in teaching them the "ins and outs" of dive gear maintenance. POC: ENC(SW/DV) Birmingham, Ext. 7081 rbirmingham@safetycenter.navy.mil 7. Writers Wanted You don't have to be on the Naval Safety Center staff to write an article for Diving Safety Lines. Since we publish the newsletter to serve the needs of the diving community, we invite all of you to submit articles for use in your publication. We would especially like to hear from the other services (Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Army, and Air Force) and the SPECOPS and SPECWAR communities We will consider anything that has to do with diving safety, whether it's a near mishap, lessons learned, or safety advice. When writing your article, leave out the names of individuals and commands. Also, include any pictures or technical drawings to clarify or enhance your submission. Send your articles via e-mail as an attachment or by regular mail on a diskette or as a printed manuscript. We want to hear from you. POC: ENC(SW/DV) McLaughlin, Ext. 7083 tmclaughlin@safetycenter.navy.mil 8 7