does your LDS clean its rental gear?

[pufferfish]

We are just reviewing the policy on this at our LDS and likely will move from the ineffective pool rinse after gear use to a more formal ten minute soak in a quaternary compound. DAN had a good article on this but I think that article is reprinted on this link.
I suspect with the number of potential saliva borne infections increasing by the year each LDS should re-examination their sanitizing procedures. Just last week I saw two students with large herpes cold sores on their lips.
Sanitizing Dive Gear
DAN article

 

[bridgediver]

Just another small reason that I should look for another LDS. They seem to cut alot of corners there, this being one of many.

 

[scubasean]

bridgediver once bubbled...
Just another small reason that I should look for another LDS. They seem to cut alot of corners there, this being one of many.

I would think that many folks are unintentionally ignorant of what it takes to adequately sterilize something that goes in someone's mouth.

--Sean

 

[Genesis]

are very effective, and pretty harmless to typical rubber and plastics that are found in things like regs.

The one downside to them is that they require significant contact time to be effective; 10 minutes is a long time!

Bleach works quickly, but can attack rubber and plastics, particularly if its left on too long and/or not fully rinsed off.

There is no "free lunch", but I agree that if you're going to be renting out gear that goes in a customer's mouth you ought to be insuring that it is microbially safe before you hand it to the NEXT renter!

You are, effectively, sharing a toothbrush here!

 

[diverbrian]

Our LDS includes a personal mouthpiece with the training kit that the student is required to have for lessons. They are required to provide their own mask, fins, and snorkel. That takes care of the disinfecting problems.

Also, when practicing air shares, very seldom do the students/instructors actually share air. The primary is handed off, the needer puts it off to the side and uses his/her own reg as if it were the reg that was handed to them. Again this is for obvious reasons. If the buddy pair is husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend, obviously they can actually share the air if they want.

 

[Genesis]

Our LDS includes a personal mouthpiece with the training kit that the student is required to have for lessons. They are required to provide their own mask, fins, and snorkel. That takes care of the disinfecting problems.

No it doesn't.

Every time you exhale microbial contamination goes into the second stage. The mouthpiece gets the saliva, but the saliva is actually not the big problem, as it seems that it inactivates a lot of nasty things (including nasty things like HIV!)

The big problem is the airborne mist of whatever the breather has that goes into the second stage and coats EVERYTHING in there.

Changing the mouthpiece does not address that problem. MOST microbial contaminants cannot survive being totally dried out for any significant period of time - but some can. However, it only takes a bit of water in the reg... how many are force-air dried completely in a rental program? Hmmmmm....

Also, when practicing air shares, very seldom do the students/instructors actually share air. The primary is handed off, the needer puts it off to the side and uses his/her own reg as if it were the reg that was handed to them. Again this is for obvious reasons. If the buddy pair is husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend, obviously they can actually share the air if they want.

Uh, is that actually kosher per standards?

 

[diverbrian]

The one buddy that I had who ran out of air on me wasn't about to try to the simulation when he got my primary, LOL. If you need air underwater, you will breathe anything and common sense will tend to kick in. Do I personally agree with that simulation procedure? Not really. In the pool, it confuses me as well sometimes when I am trying to teach air shares as to who is supposed to be needing and who is supposed to be donating. But, I understand why the instructors do it and I don't have to like it. But I am only an Assistant/DiveCon candidate. The instructor runs the class.

I noticed that when I got to Stress and Rescue and Tech Diving courses, the "simulation" went out the window. Everything gets practiced in the manner that it will be performed in those courses.

As to the "germies" that get into the regulator second stage. Guess what, O' contrary one? No system is perfect, but it is one heck of a lot better than the one that got mentioned at the start of this post (which was NO CLEANING). I've not been asked to stay after to help clean gear, but I would gladly find the time free of charge to the LDS if asked.

 

[Genesis]

All I'm pointing out is that if a shop is truly concerned about transmitting beasties via rental gear that they should do somethign to clean the entire reg seocnd stages - not just the mouthpieces....

 

[pufferfish]

Genesis is probably right on the money again about changing the mouthpiece. It may give the student peace of mind but is a false sense of security as the entire second stage needs to be sanitized. We saw here in Toronto the disaster that the coronavirus (SARS) caused in this city when people (mainly healthcare workers) did not follow proper respiratory precautions with something as simple as how to fit a mask. When the infection first started we were told the virus could live for only hours on dry surfaces and I think now we are up to four days given the right medium. Had there been a large community outbreak I am sure scuba programs would have been on the hit list by public health.

Recently there have been several cases of bad warts following manicures and pedicures. Investigators found the shop involved was changing the razor blades between clients for paring warts but not the handle holding the blade. Somehow the HPV virus was getting from the uncleaned handles of the infected wart client to the hand or foot of the wart free next client! Answer to the problem was disposible handles or sterilize the handle.

So for all you divers thinking about getting a manicure before that next dive you might want to check that handle is new and that your entire second stage has been properly cleaned

 

[pufferfish]

scubasean once bubbled...

I would think that many folks are unintentionally ignorant of what it takes to adequately sterilize something that goes in someone's mouth.

I agree for most shop owners there is no malice involved just plain old ignorance. This is an education issue and usually just showing the owner a thread like this fixes the problem. If it doens't then look for another LDS or buy you own gear, at least a reg.