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Monthly Briefing Archive

Monthly Briefing November 2024

Many of you are likely to recall the topic of the September 2024 Monthly Briefing. It addressed issues related to how one determines if a hyperbaric chamber is safely designed/constructed and holds the right approval(s). It created a great deal of interest and feedback, thanks for that.

Interestingly, that very same month a chamber lacking the right approval exploded during occupancy. It was a soft-sided model built in China, sold in England and had been in use at a spa and private residence in India for four years. A home video monitoring system was in use at the time so you can see the explosion and its aftermath in the attached video. The occupant miraculously survived explosive decompression with only minor injuries. He was clearly not deterred by his near-death experience as he demanded the seller provide a replacement chamber or his money back. He struck out on both counts. The seller argued that it was operator error as the chamber was placed too close to an adjacent wall (where it had apparently resided for some time), thereby restricting the overpressure relief valve, also serving to distort chamber geometry. Any rationale analysis would find this argument implausible. As the chamber had been under stable pressure for some time the pressure relief valve, even if obstructed, could hardly have been a contributing factor and chamber geometry did not appear disturbed in any noticeable way. The more likely cause was deterioration of the strips of tape used to hold sections of chamber fabric together. The zipper appeared intact. All in all, another example of flawed/unsafe chamber design. NBDHMT certified personnel, as a function of their Code of Conduct attestation, must never be involved in operations of hyperbaric chambers that don’t meet standards noted in the September Briefing.

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A reminder not to use saved certification applications due to the Board’s recently updated mailing address. We are no longer able to check the P.O. Boxes 330 and 440 so please print new applications directly from the website.

Dick Clarke. President

National Board of Diving & Hyperbaric Medical Technology

https://youtu.be/VvZlPa84eAo

NBDHMT · P O Box 758 · Pelion, South Carolina 29123, USA · 888.312.2770

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Updated September 12, 2024