[abstract] HYPERBARIC CHAMBER FIRES: AN UPDATE

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previously reported were 77 human fatalities in 35 hyperbaric facility fires in Asia, Europe, and North America (1). This is an update of the chamber fire report. METHODS: Data were obtained from news reports, personal interview and from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) Chamber Experience and Mishap Database. RESULTS: Five additional chamber fires resulted in 14 human fatalities and 2 serious burn injuries. Smoking caused fires in 2 North American diving decompression chambers (1985, 1997) resulting in 2 severely burned and one fatality, respectively. In 2 European clinical chamber fires (1996, 1997), smoking caused 1 fatality, and a gas-operated hand warmer caused 11 fatalities, respectively. The percent oxygen in these air-filled chambers is unknown. One fatality occurred in a Central American pure oxygen clinical chamber fire (1997), caused by a child's friction toy. This brings the total of 91 known human fatalities from 40 hyperbaric facitity fires occurring during 1923-1997. CONCLUSION: Findings support our previous report that recent chamber fires have been primarily caused by prohibited sources of ignition that an occupant carried inside the chamber. REFERENCE: Sheffield P.J., Desautels D.A. Hyperbaric and hypobaric chamber fires: a 73-year analysis. Undersea Hyper Med 1997; 24(3): 153-164.