How many of you out there connect a 5-star facility with pure air, properly changed filters, and quarterly analysis?
I was a MI and counted on it, so did the rest of our training team. Guess what? The owner lied many times over (as we never saw maintenance). Guess what else? His air intake was 4 feet above the ground in a parking lot. No filter changes, no maintenance, no air analysis for years...
No problems, either, until there was construction in same parking lot. Result? I almost died, our team got sick, a student went to the hospital (me along with her, freaking out about her injury). Neurological problems, heart problems, speech problems, lung problems for a total of 4 of us...carbon monoxide doesn't have an odor, so the ol "smell and taste bad" dosen't do squat. Red lips and nail beds? Not in cold water!
And what help did we get? Cover it up...our member agency is slicker than KY...the instructors left holding the bag...and my student is still sick. Of course, no tests can be done to prove it (much to our employers delight) apart from now multiple very angry customers. What's left to do besides go to court? How the hell did this happen?
The owner was lazy, member organization was lazy, and medical profession here has their heads up their asses that this can never happen. Save for a small group of trained physicians, who are sickened by how many people have the same experiences, and are up for the challenge of changing standards to ensure member organizations enforce air analysis and proper compressor procedures. Don't think there's long term damage? Ask DAN!
As a dive professional, my career is over for an indeterminate period of time. My students are still having problems. All because I thought member organizations looked out for this in my area. They didn't, and my employer was negligent.
MY point? Make sure your employer follows proper air procedures (mine lied), ask to see the certificate! If this happens to you, it is difficult to prove (but not impossible if you have a good lawyer). Nothing I can do (WCB) but you can tell who we will be testifying against when my student sues?
If you're a student, or a diver - demand to see the certificate of pure air. By standards, facilities need to have air analyzed quarterly for contaminants (regions may have stricter requirements however)
Anyone else out there know facilities who don't follow this standard? Anyone else have a similar incident? This has got to be changed - not only to protect instructors health, but to also make sure that a student is never injured again by a lazy-*** owner. These people have NO idea - and their told that member facilities are "pure air" and reputable stations.
I was a MI and counted on it, so did the rest of our training team. Guess what? The owner lied many times over (as we never saw maintenance). Guess what else? His air intake was 4 feet above the ground in a parking lot. No filter changes, no maintenance, no air analysis for years...
No problems, either, until there was construction in same parking lot. Result? I almost died, our team got sick, a student went to the hospital (me along with her, freaking out about her injury). Neurological problems, heart problems, speech problems, lung problems for a total of 4 of us...carbon monoxide doesn't have an odor, so the ol "smell and taste bad" dosen't do squat. Red lips and nail beds? Not in cold water!
And what help did we get? Cover it up...our member agency is slicker than KY...the instructors left holding the bag...and my student is still sick. Of course, no tests can be done to prove it (much to our employers delight) apart from now multiple very angry customers. What's left to do besides go to court? How the hell did this happen?
The owner was lazy, member organization was lazy, and medical profession here has their heads up their asses that this can never happen. Save for a small group of trained physicians, who are sickened by how many people have the same experiences, and are up for the challenge of changing standards to ensure member organizations enforce air analysis and proper compressor procedures. Don't think there's long term damage? Ask DAN!
As a dive professional, my career is over for an indeterminate period of time. My students are still having problems. All because I thought member organizations looked out for this in my area. They didn't, and my employer was negligent.
MY point? Make sure your employer follows proper air procedures (mine lied), ask to see the certificate! If this happens to you, it is difficult to prove (but not impossible if you have a good lawyer). Nothing I can do (WCB) but you can tell who we will be testifying against when my student sues?
If you're a student, or a diver - demand to see the certificate of pure air. By standards, facilities need to have air analyzed quarterly for contaminants (regions may have stricter requirements however)
Anyone else out there know facilities who don't follow this standard? Anyone else have a similar incident? This has got to be changed - not only to protect instructors health, but to also make sure that a student is never injured again by a lazy-*** owner. These people have NO idea - and their told that member facilities are "pure air" and reputable stations.
