Diving deaths raise safety questions in Australia

[hargikas]

Diving deaths raise safety questions in Australia - BBC News

'Really unusual'
The incidents prompted Australian Underwater Federation President Graham Henderson on Sunday to call for a review of safety standards for scuba-diving courses.

He said increased health screening for older divers should be considered.

"Having that number of deaths is really unusual. I've never seen it happen before," said Mr Henderson, whose organisation is the government-recognised body for amateur underwater activities in Australia.

"I think realistically, for older divers from the age of 65 onwards, I think it would be worth having a medical every two years."​

 

[beester]

That's not illogical. I believe there are many agencies that enforce this, specifically it there is a link with dive insurance.

I can think of agencies that enforce a yearly medical and a 5 year ECG test for divers above 45. Not sure if it helps tho.

 

[Tzymische]

yeah, nothing wrong with required medical.

Our agency here in Ireland (CFT) requires full medical on joining, then another one on the 35th birthday.
And then it is straight forward - three yearly from the age of 35 and annually from the age of 55.
Another one is required If a diver’s health status has changed since the last medical examination.

 

[Edward3c]

In the U.K. We used to have (if memory serves):
* Every 5 years to ago 40,
* Every 3 years to age 50,
* Every year over 50.

These were dropped as GPs were missing diving related issues or preventing diving for unrelated conditions. We moved to self-declaration, with specialist diving doctors making the assessment when 'yes' was ticked. There wasn't a sudden increase in diver deaths as the scaremongers predicted.

However, the BSAC incident reports are showing a prevalence of older diver incidents. Is this a consequence of the average age of divers is increasing, as youngsters aren't taking up the sport in enough numbers. Or an issue of age and diving?

 

[Tzymische]

We do self-assessment yearly as well - same way and if YES it goes to medical council and specialist diving doctors are double checking as well. I guess you can't save everyone - I think our system works OK as far it can - but there's no way to eliminate every single problem and if someone really wants to dive - against the medical advice - there's no way to stop him/her.

 

[Mudguard]

You are only required to complete a medical statement on commercial dive boats in Australia. Total honesty system. If you fess up to taking any medication you're required to have a doctors fitness to dive, if you choose to withhold your private medications you're good to go. Just been a bad week in the water for Australia. The heart related death statistics for males over 60's in most recreational activities is way over the average, golf, jogging, cycling, rowing, they all get their turns. This week was divings turn.

RIP to the deceased

 

[dmaziuk]

However, the BSAC incident reports are showing a prevalence of older diver incidents. Is this a consequence of the average age of divers is increasing, as youngsters aren't taking up the sport in enough numbers. Or an issue of age and diving?

What @Mudguard said: unless you compare this with "older person incidents" in other activities, including just living, the numbers don't mean much. Older people are more likely to keel over, film at 11.

 

[boulderjohn]

ou are only required to complete a medical statement on commercial dive boats in Australia. Total honesty system. If you fess up to taking any medication you're required to have a doctors fitness to dive, if you choose to withhold your private medications you're good to go.

I heard all about this before I went to Australia, so my friends and I brought with us a complete statement of our medications, full medical forms, and statements from our doctors. We presented them to two different dive operators, including a liveaboard. We confused the absolute Hell out of the people taking those documents. It seemed like they had never seen anything like it. One had to ask a more veteran employee what to do with them. The other one looked at them briefly, gave it some thought, and then explained that none of that was necessary. All we needed to do was sign a simple statement indicating that we believed we were fit to dive. That was all they needed, and that was all they wanted. No one else brought anything like it.

 

[TMHeimer]

I am very skeptical of most statistics--case in point the "chances of death by shark vs.____________". Does anyone really know exactly what such statistics mean? If a dive op wants to require older folks to present a medical checkup form, that should be up to them (there was a thread on this recently somewhere-Age Discrimination or something). Don't like the idea of government getting involved. Personally I get a checkup twice yearly (since I went over 50) and my Doc knows I dive. Regulating this is another example of not trusting people to just use common sense. What about those who shore dive on their own in Australia? Is someone there to make sure they have had a medical? If I die doing that who's fault is that?

Henderson says "really unusual....never seen it happen before". That's NEVER. Hmm..possibly one big coincidence?
Scuba and snorkel deaths are grouped together. Though obviously related, one thing is way more complicated. May as well group scuba with just about any sport/activity that gets the heart pumping. Medical required for softball? I gave up competitive men's basketball 30 years ago. My fault if I die at almost 63 running around with 25 year olds.

Another somewhat related idea is that we all hear of new laws coming in after many years without them because somebody died or was injured doing this or that. I some cases it was actually amazing that the law or restriction wasn't there years ago, as the danger was clear. But well hey, somebody died, so now we act.

 

[dmaziuk]

I don't believe there is a feasible way to check a if medical form, or a dive log, is legit. Especially when you're getting on a boat at 7 am Sunday morning someplace outside of FaceOogle coverage area. So requiring a medical checkup form would be moot. Anyone doing that is likely solving a different problem. Not that that would be so unusual, take US voter ID laws, for example.