Compression Chamber

Where diving projects fall under the Code of Practice for Inland Diving and Inshore Diving, the diving contractor has a responsibility to ensure the provision of facilities so that a diver can be recompressed in an emergency. This will involve locating the nearest available compression chamber to the diving operations and making arrangements and obtaining contact details for the use of the chamber in the event of an emergency.

The emergency plan should record the suitable chambers which have been identified and the arrangements which have been made for emergency recompression throughout the course of the diving project.

Considerations

Issues to consider include:

• The location of the nearest compression chamber and travel time to it at various times of the day (see 12 of the Code of Practice for Inland Diving and Inshore Diving).
• Checks that the chamber is currently certified, in date, operational and available throughout the diving project.
• That a competent chamber operator is available.
• Identification of suitable transport, drivers and vehicles.

The means of evacuation of the diver to the closest available compression chamber must also be considered taking account that the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter will only take the diver to the nearest available compression chamber within the Irish Search and Rescue Region (IRSRR). If a diver requires deeper treatment in a facility outside the IRSRR e.g. in the UK, the diving contractor must have suitable arrangements for alternative transportation and treatment in place.

Compression Chamber Requirements for Offshore Diving

For diving projects that fall under the Code of Practice for Offshore Diving (see Sections 3.3 and 3.4 of the Code of Practice for Offshore Diving for the application) a two-person, two-compartment chamber must be available at the worksite to provided suitable therapeutic recompression treatment.