Accident Analysis for recreational diving?

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BSAC and DAN both seem to put out stats, i dont know how detailed these thigns are and whether they can really help improve the way we all dive - if they are too general or not.

The BSAC one covers all known/reported incidents in the UK (all agencies) and all BSAC members that have incidents abroad.

The UK ones are compiled via reports from the media,coastguard, police as well as the ones officially reported to them so is fairly comprehensive, chances are if any official service was involved in some way it'll be included. As for how detailed, you can see for yourself as its on their site.

DAN i dont know about (i) because its not as popular or commonly consulted here and (ii) i think you have to be a member to get them.

 

[lamont]

I read the DAN reports as a brand-spanking new diver and it helped me out a lot to understand the risks. I was initially a little bit fearful about just dying out of the blue, but it helped me realize that accidents usually involved either immense degrees of stupidity (going into the water drunk and solo looking for a dropped cellphone) or a cascading set of failures (buddy separation / buoyancy issues / OOA / etc).

 

[GoBlue!]

I would be very interested in seeing formal accident analysis performed on recreational accidents. The problem, obviously, is developing the infrastructure to collect the data. I would definitely volunteer time to help with database mgmt, data gathering, data analysis, and manuscript preparation for a project like this.

Who are the primary keepers/analyzers of technical accident analysis these days?

Jim

 

[GDI]

This posting is also in the Accident Analysis thread of th Accidents and Incidents Forum

Just something to read and see if you can make it apply to rec diving.

 

[sweatfrog]

I would be very interested in seeing formal accident analysis performed on recreational accidents. The problem, obviously, is developing the infrastructure to collect the data. I would definitely volunteer time to help with database mgmt, data gathering, data analysis, and manuscript preparation for a project like this.
Jim

This is a good idea, as long as an impending investigation has been concluded and possible lawsuit to the existing parties has been resolved. The books that are mentioned in this thread have been researched by legal eagles to avoid potential problems.

For a "resident expert" to give their opinion, without knowing all the details, the potential for someone to exascerbate the tragedy looms high. The most recent example is the P3 situation.

 

[Mako Mark]

I can understand the not wanting to put a negative spin on things - profit and repeat business are at the heart of how..... ,!

When we are talking about technical diving, I believe that we should scare the living daylights out of the diver. In Tec there is no positive value or pussyfooting around, in the classroom or in the water.

I recently audited an cave course with a highly respected local instructor, and saw him push a diver to the very limits of panic. The diver teetered on the edge and could feel the fear more than once, then got himself together and proceeded to solve the problem (open water line drills in 3 meters of water).

I personally has moved into position to rescue the guy, it was a biglession for me too. in technical diving situations, panic is not an option, and we need to weed out those that still have that as a potential option. If you panic, the game is over, so if you have the tendency to panic, you shouldnt even start with these activities: take up finger painting or something.

If the diver proceeds with training without knowing where this fundimental boundary is, then they are breaking the rule number one of accident analasys.. limits of training

 

[GoBlue!]

This is a good idea, as long as an impending investigation has been concluded and possible lawsuit to the existing parties has been resolved. The books that are mentioned in this thread have been researched by legal eagles to avoid potential problems.

For a "resident expert" to give their opinion, without knowing all the details, the potential for someone to exascerbate the tragedy looms high. The most recent example is the P3 situation.

What I'm referring to would not be rendering "expert opinions." I'm suggesting that it would be fantastic for the recreational diving community to have a standardized data collection system for rec diving accidents. A great volume of information could be collected with each accident, and there would be no room for "opinions."

If thousands of accidents were ultimately collected, a database of variables could be mined to find all sorts of associations, and hopefully lead to interventions that could reduce future diving accidents.

Jim

 

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What I'm referring to would not be rendering "expert opinions." I'm suggesting that it would be fantastic for the recreational diving community to have a standardized data collection system for rec diving accidents. A great volume of information could be collected with each accident, and there would be no room for "opinions."

If thousands of accidents were ultimately collected, a database of variables could be mined to find all sorts of associations, and hopefully lead to interventions that could reduce future diving accidents.

Jim

Sounds near exactly what the bsac reports do every year.

 

[GoBlue!]

I must just be missing it...where does BSAC publicly post their analyses? I'm searching their website, but.....

Jim

 

[DeepSeaDan]

...comprise a significant part of my diving safety presentation.

Years ago I selected 10 incident reports from the BSAC files as a handout to my students. I ask them to read each incident & then jot down what they feel were the primary factors initiating the problem(s). I then ask them to think of how each incident might have been prevented.

It is always an eye-opening, sobering experience for the students.

I see nothing but good coming from this. These type of incident analysis drives home the absolute need for conservatism, common sense, & above all, a healthy respect for the u/w environment.

Regards,
D.S.D.