Divers Killed by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

[WarmWaterDiver]

Wow - my company's purchasing department must have quite a bit of leverage - I haven't priced these as an individual before, just ordered in the line of work.

Are the prices you're quoting for Draeger or Sensidyne? Several places I've worked have switched from Draeger to Sensidyne in the last several years due to cost competitveness.

The pump is a one-time purchase. Agree, you break them only when ready to use, but they're packaged pretty well from the manufacturer to minimize unwanted breakage. I hadn't thought about bits of glass shards from broken tips in an area where folks might be barefoot though - I'm used to using these in a steel toe ANSI spec foot protection required environment - never mind - I'd be pissed if I jabbed broken glass in my bare foot while donning booties at a dive site from everyone breaking tubes to check their mix. There's enough trash on the beaches etc. already.

 

[DandyDon]

Wow, what a great thread. I had no idea I could get a CO tester that cheap!

This may be a great idea.

So would wearing a crash helment when driving a car - about the equivalent...?

I'm not doing either.

 

[sharpenu]

The treatment for CO poisoning is HBO (hyperbaric oxygen). The trick is to get the PO2 in the blood to be at least 200 times higher than the PP of CO. The half life of CO at a PO2 of .21 is 240 minutes. The half life of CO at a PO2 of 1.0 is 50 minutes. If you get into the chamber at recieve a PO2 of 3.0, the half life is shortened to 20 minutes.

****** Disclaimer- Never attempt to self administer HBO at these high partial pressures- a chamber ride is a controlled, monitored situation. *******

HBO has many advantages-

1 Effectively competes with CO and forces it from COHb and allows O2 saturation
2 More O2 is dissolved in blood plasma, which increases available O@ in tissues
3 HBO is a vasoconstrictor, which reduces the effects of anoxic encephalitis

CO poisoning MUST be confirmed by a blood test for COHb, preferably within 30 minutes of removal from exposure. O2 saturation monitoring is ineffective and incorrect in CO poisoning. SaO2 only measures bound Hb. It sees COHb the same as OHb.

 

[Firefyter]

Are the prices you're quoting for Draeger or Sensidyne? Several places I've worked have switched from Draeger to Sensidyne in the last several years due to cost competitveness.

The pump is a one-time purchase. Agree, you break them only when ready to use, but they're packaged pretty well from the manufacturer to minimize unwanted breakage.

The prices I quoted were pretty much the range for CO tubes from the different manufacturers. Colorimetric tubes from Rae Systems are at the cheaper end, at $3 - $6, while Drager is $6 - $10. Sensidyne falls in the middle somewhere with the tubes running around $6 on the averrage. BTW, the pump price I quoted was for the Rae Systems pump at $165. The Sensidyne pump is a whopping $325. You're right, it's just a one time purchase, but it's a pretty hefty purchase when you consider the amount of tubes you're going to use or waste to go along with it.

 

[Wijbrandus]

I've used Draeger tubes and the hand pump when I evaluated confined-space entry situations. I found them unreliable at best. This was my personal experience over the course of six years performing several inspections a week in a factory environment. Even if I had them provided to me free of charge, I would not use them as I do not trust their accuracy. Yes, I was trained on their use and a certified haz-mat technician at the time. Perhaps they've changed in the ten years it's been?

I would think if you had concerns about your air, you'd be far better served asking to see the paperwork on the filling station, and maybe checking it out yourself if you know what to look for. Filter change rates, inspections, etc. This is much more convenient and in my opinion a more cost-effective way of qualifying your air.

Of course, not being the first one in and observing the other divers is also a good method. Sort of like the canary in the mineshaft...

 

[lairdb]

I've used Draeger tubes and the hand pump when I evaluated confined-space entry situations. I found them unreliable at best. This was my personal experience over the course of six years performing several inspections a week in a factory environment. Even if I had them provided to me free of charge, I would not use them as I do not trust their accuracy. Yes, I was trained on their use and a certified haz-mat technician at the time. Perhaps they've changed in the ten years it's been?

awrence-Factor, makers of the CoCop product, have an article that amounts to "tubes suck... mostly". Obviously they're an interested party, but still, more gas for the fire.

 

[ColdH2OisNot4Me]

The top-rated dive resort mentioned in the reports of the carbon monoxide poisoning and subsequent death of the divemaster and a resort guest in June of this year also backed over a diver with props running last week (09/06/05). The victim/diver received a serious gash on the arm requiring 16 stitches, three superficial cuts (diagonal and striped) and significant hematomas.

 

[BarryNL]

Can't say I know much about compressors, but isn't CO just a byproduct of burning some sort of fuel - in other words wouldn't this only be possible with fuel powered (as opposed to electrically powered) compressors.

Maybe only electrical compressors should be considered suitable for breathing gas compression?

 

[Snowbear]

... in other words wouldn't this only be possible with fuel powered (as opposed to electrically powered) compressors.

Not if it comes from an outside source... like vehicle exhaust from an adjacent parking lot.

 

[FOUNDATIONER]

Originally posted by DVRCARRIB: In light of recent Roatan reports of 2 diver deaths on the same dive from "bad air"


What "reports".

"There is some speculation that a batch of tanks were CO contaminated (allegedly)"

Does this mean that the Alleged Report is Speculative? :06: