Section 1 Contingency Plans

1.2.1 Persons under pressure remain at greater risk while in a Hyperbaric Evacuation Unit whether consisting of a rescue chamber installed in a lifeboat or a chamber which is self-buoyant. It is to be noted that self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboats are generally considered the most appropriate method of evacuation of divers in an emergency. Other methods of hyperbaric evacuation will be subject to special consideration. Consequently every effort should be made in the design of a ship or offshore installation to maximize fire protection by fire-resisting bulkheads and fire-fighting installations and in the case of Ships to minimize risk of foundering or capsize by extensive Subdivision.

1.2.2 A potentially dangerous situation can arise if a floating unit, from which saturation diving operations are being carried out, has to be abandoned with a diving team under pressure. While this hazard should be reduced by pre-planning, under extreme conditions consideration may have to be given to hyperbaric evacuation of the divers. The hyperbaric evacuation arrangements should be studied prior to the commencement of the dive operation and suitable written contingency plans made. Where, in the event of diver evacuation, decompression would take place in another surface compression chamber the compatibility of the mating devices should be considered.

1.2.3 Once the hyperbaric evacuation unit has been launched the divers and any support personnel may be in a precarious situation where recovery into another facility may not be possible and exposure to seasickness and accompanying dehydration will present further hazards. It is therefore necessary that diving contractors ensure that any such contingency plans include appropriate solutions. It should be emphasised that hasty or precipitous action may lead to a premature evacuation situation which could be more hazardous in the final analysis.

1.2.4 In preparing the contingency plans the various possible emergency situations should be identified taking into consideration the geographical area of operation, the environmental conditions, the proximity of other vessels, and the availability and suitability of any onshore or offshore facilities. The facilities for rescue, recovery and subsequent medical treatment of divers evacuated in such circumstances should be considered as part of the contingency plan. In the case of unattended hyperbaric evacuation units not having an attended crew, consideration should be given to providing equipment to transfer the tow line to an attendant vessel before launch of the hyperbaric evacuation unit. Such an arrangement would enable the unit to be towed clear immediately after launching.

1.2.5 Copies of contingency plans shall be available on board the parent vessel, ashore and in the evacuation unit.

1.3.1 While LR does not lay down a specific training Schedule or certificate format, it is considered that sub-sections Pt 7, Ch 1, 1.3 Training schedule 1.3.2 to Pt 7, Ch 1, 1.3 Training schedule 1.3.7 may be of assistance to operators.

1.3.2 The crew, and in particular the pilot, for every submersible should be fully informed about, and be fully aware of, the design capabilities of the submersible Once trials and experience have verified and expanded the operator’s knowledge of the submersible’s service capabilities, this knowledge Should be recorded for the benefit of Subsequent users.

1.3.3 Operating and maintenance instructions Should be so written and produced that it will normally be Possible for Properly trained personnel to undertake routine operations and maintenance Without the need to consult additional literature, except for navigational purposes.

1.3.4 Pilot and crew should also have a full knowledge of diving procedure emergency procedure and, on certain submersibles of decompression tables and the use of pressurized access chambers, and in this respect it is recommended that experience as a scuba diver is an advantage.

1.3.5 Pilots and crews of wet submersibles Should Possess recognized diving qualifications.

1.3.6 Detailed knowledge is required of the effects of buoyancy, heel and trim, equipment handling, underwater television sonar, hydraulics, electrics together with the medical effects of gas mixtures. In addition, the pilot should have experience of navigation by dead reckoning.

1.3.7 Periodic training exercises should be carried out to test the operation of the hyperbaric evacuation system and the efficiency of the personnel responsible for the hyperbaric evacuation of the divers. Such training exercises should not be carried out with divers under pressure in the hyperbaric chamber, but should be carried out at each available opportunity.