Diving Accidents. Analyses of Underlying Variables.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to ascertain the most frequent Navy diving mishaps and to identify underlying factors associated with accidents. Of the 1,174 incidents occurring during the course of 706,259 dives from January 1968 through May 1981, decompression sickness and barotraumas were the most prevalent. In comparing accident rates and depth-controlled accident rates of environmental factors and diver-related variables, results showed that mishap incidence increased significantly with dive depth. Dives for selection or experimental purposes were at an elevated risk of terminating in an accident, and saturation diving and surface decompressions yielded the highest mishap rates among decompression schedule types. Older divers were disproportionately and appropriately assigned to deep dives. Eighty-one percent of diving mishaps ended in complete relief for the diver while 18% terminated in substantial relief. Awareness of conditions influencing accident probability will aid in the planning of diving operations and in further protecting the health and safety of the individual diver.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA146418
Entities
People
- A. Hoiberg
- C. G. Blood
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center