Diver Critically Injured When Suit Over Inflates (Ontario, Canada)
Hazard Summary
A 40 year-old diver was critically injured when his diving suit over-inflated while working inside an opening of a sewer pipe.
The victim was vacuuming the inside of a flooded storm sewer when his suit unexpectedly began to inflate causing him to blow up against the roof of the pipe. The victim was wearing a dry suit and was using a surface-supplied diving helmet.
The investigation has shown that the diving harness interfered with the operation of the diver's suit. Specifically, the design of the particular harness inadvertently activated the suit inflation valve when the diver crouched in the sewer pipe, causing an uncontrolled blow-up and trapping him against the top of the sewer pipe. The harness is a type that crossed across the chest. When the diver crouched inside the pipe the harness strap slid over the inflator of his dry suit causing an uncontrolled over-inflation. The inflator valve on this suit was found to have a high profile activator that rises above the protective shroud of the valve. As the suit began to inflate the diver could not raise his arm to discharge the overpressure through the exhaust valve.
Hazard Location
This hazard may occur whenever a cross-chest type of diving harness is worn. This type of harness must be avoided if there is a possibility that a harness strap can accidentally activate the suit inflator valve.
Precautions
* Ensure during pre-dive checks that suit inflator valve cannot be activated by harness straps.
* Relocate suit inflation valve to an area on the suit that will not allow the diving harness straps to interfere with the suit inflation valve.
It amazes me that Divers and Supervisors continue to make such an obvious mistake which continues to cause diver injury and death.
Hazard Summary
A 40 year-old diver was critically injured when his diving suit over-inflated while working inside an opening of a sewer pipe.
The victim was vacuuming the inside of a flooded storm sewer when his suit unexpectedly began to inflate causing him to blow up against the roof of the pipe. The victim was wearing a dry suit and was using a surface-supplied diving helmet.
The investigation has shown that the diving harness interfered with the operation of the diver's suit. Specifically, the design of the particular harness inadvertently activated the suit inflation valve when the diver crouched in the sewer pipe, causing an uncontrolled blow-up and trapping him against the top of the sewer pipe. The harness is a type that crossed across the chest. When the diver crouched inside the pipe the harness strap slid over the inflator of his dry suit causing an uncontrolled over-inflation. The inflator valve on this suit was found to have a high profile activator that rises above the protective shroud of the valve. As the suit began to inflate the diver could not raise his arm to discharge the overpressure through the exhaust valve.
Hazard Location
This hazard may occur whenever a cross-chest type of diving harness is worn. This type of harness must be avoided if there is a possibility that a harness strap can accidentally activate the suit inflator valve.
Precautions
* Ensure during pre-dive checks that suit inflator valve cannot be activated by harness straps.
* Relocate suit inflation valve to an area on the suit that will not allow the diving harness straps to interfere with the suit inflation valve.
It amazes me that Divers and Supervisors continue to make such an obvious mistake which continues to cause diver injury and death.