National Plan for the Safety and Health of Divers in Their Quest for Subsea Energy.

Abstract

Although deep-sea divers assisting the search for oil from the ocean are tough, intelligent and supported by advanced technology, they often suffer accidental injury at the underwater site as they cut, weld and use explosives to join heavy pieces of metal together or physiological damage exerted by the ocean depths. Their occupational risks are hundreds of times greater than those facing the typical industrial worker. The dangers they face will probably become even greater during the next five years as they will be expected to stay in the ocean longer and perhaps even descend in diving bells to 1,500 feet or 2,000 feet. Last year the federal government decided that the health risks facing these divers should he better defined and dealt with. Consequently, they contracted with the Undersea Medical Society in Bethesda, Md., to devise a "National Plan for the Safety and Health of Divers in Their Quest for Subsea Energy." The Undersea Medical Society is composed of some 1,000 physicians and doctors of science, most of them diving enthusiasts. - abstract from Science News v109 p284-285, 1 May 1976.