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TheCanadianAssociationofDivingContractors29newsThesubjectofonsitehyperbaricchambersincommercialdivingisnotoftentalkedabout.Mostdiversanddivingsupervisorshavebeentrainedonthemandhaveageneralknowledgeaboutthembutveryfewdivershavealotofexperiencewiththem.Formostdiversitisabigpieceofequipmentthatyourprovincialregulationobligatesyoutohaveonyourdivesitebecauseofthedivingdepthortypeofdivingyouaredoing.AccordingtotheCSAZ275.2OccupationalSafetyCodeforDivingOperationthetypeofhyperbaricchambershallbetheClassAtypedoublelockmultipleoccupancyshallhaveapressureratingof6ATAatmospheresabsoluteor165ft.andbeabletosupportafulltreatmenttablewithextensionsandventilation.MymanyyearsintheNavyhavegivenmealotofexperiencewiththesupervisionoperationandmaintenanceofahyperbaricchamber.Whetheritwasadeckportableorstationaryhyperbaricchamberwehadtolookafterthemandkeepcurrentinitsoperationandmaintenance.Keepingyourskillcurrentintheoperationandmaintenanceofthehyperbaricchamberwillnotonlyassurethesafeoperationofitbutalsoensuresthesafetyofyourpeersbeingtreatedthusmakingyoufullycapableofmeetingyourrequirementsforemergencytreatments.AccordingtotheCSAZ275.1HyperbaricFacilitiesstandardallchambersshallbebuiltandmeetnationalandinternationalstandardsandhavestandardancillaryandemergencyequipmentbuiltintoit.Howevernotallchambersaredesignedandfunctionthesamewaysoknowingwhereallthebellsandwhistlesarelocatedisveryimportantandmakestheoperatorandstaffmorecapableofdealingwithpotentialhyperbaricemergencies.Somechamberswerebuiltinthe60sand70sanddonothavetheluxuryofhavingthelatesttechnologyandthereforemaynotbeasuser-friendlyasothers.On-siteAccordingtotheCSAZ275.2youshallhaveahyperbaricchamberon-siteifyourdiveexceedstheNo-Dlimitsorexceeds130ft40mindepth.ThenewQuebecregulationisalotmorestringentonthisrequirementitrequiresyoutohaveahyperbaricchamberon-sitefordivesdeeperthan50ft15m.InOntarioitis100ft30mandinBCitisiftheplanneddecompressiontimeexceeds15minutes.Soasyoucannoticesomeprovinceshaveadoptedtheirownregulationregardingtherequirementstohaveahyperbaricchamberon-site.Whatx1con-sitex1dmeansintermsofhyperbaricstandardsintheoryisthatthechambershallbewithinviewofthesupervisorandaccessiblewithinminutesfortreatingorforsurfacedecompressingSur-Dadiver.KeepinmindthatinordertoperformaSur-Dadiverwouldneedsevenminutesofsurfaceintervalfromthetimeheorshewouldleaveits30-ftinwaterstoptothe40-ftinchamberoxygenstop.Thiswouldnotbeachievableifthechamberwastoofarfromthedivesite.Acrewconsistingofasupervisoroperatorandinsideattendantshallbeatthereadystate.Oftenthedivingsupervisorwouldbecomethetreatingsupervisorandwouldthereforehaveabetterunderstandingofthesituation.Theinsideattendantshallbeax1ccleandiverx1dandbefittodive.Yourinsideattendantshallalsoknowhowtoperformvariousmedicaltasksi.e.neurologicalexaminationbloodpressureetc.Keepingyourinsideattendantx1ccleanx1dforthatdayisamust.HeorsheshouldbeavailabletobepressurizedwiththediveratimmediatenoticeandrememberthatsometreatmentsByJocelynJoshBoisvertCD1CHTCoordinatorQuebecDivingMedicalCentreOnsiteHyperbaricChambersWhatYouShouldKnowAcommercialdiveristreatedinanon-sitehyperbaricchamber.PhotoprovidedbyDougElseyDougElsey.com.