Emergency Equipment

Suitable equipment should be available for rescuing an incapacitated diver from the water such as proprietary rescue devices.

Where the diver wears a diving harness it should be of sufficient design to assist in rescuing the diver.

• A first aid kit and emergency oxygen must be readily available, even where there is a compression chamber on site.
• Taking account of the location of the dive site and access to medical facilities, sufficient gas should be provided for the duration of a transfer of a diver to a compression chamber, hospital or other place.
• The equipment should be sufficient to provide recommended levels of medical oxygen to a breathing or non-breathing patient.

Emergency Oxygen First Aid

At a minimum a qualified first aider must also be qualified in the administration of oxygen and the recognition of diving injury symptoms and must have received appropriate training in the correct use of the oxygen administration system. Such training should be renewed every two years. The person assigned to carry out the emergency oxygen first aid must be available at the dive site. In normal circumstances this person will be a member of the dive team that does not enter the water. The diving contractor's risk assessment should consider whether additional members of the dive team need to be qualified in oxygen administration.