About 1,000 sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt - roughly a fifth of its crew - were under quarantine at a U.S. naval base on Guam on Thursday as the Navy sought to control a coronavirus outbreak aboard the warship.
|
This advisory notice is provided to stress the importance of stakeholders vetting secondhand information on guidance for the sanitization of commercial diving life support equipment.
Recently, a diving contractor contacted the ADCI to verify an alleged guidance that OSHA/ADCI had issued, recommending the utilization of a diluted bleach mixture for post-dive cleaning of dive helmets. This is completely inaccurate, and is an example of why it is important to verify firsthand what are the recommended practices for the cleaning of shared life support equipment.
The ADCI would not, and will not, issue guidelines of this type that should be generated from manufacturers and vendors.
The ADCI encourages all contractors and schools to contact manufacturers on the best practices for proper sanitization to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The following links and recommendations are from Kirby Morgan Dive Systems:
During this period with the spreading of COVID-19 it is important that the helmets, BandMasks® and full-face masks be cleaned and sanitized properly as defined in our General Preventative Maintenance section 1.3.2.2 and 1.3.2.4 Sanitizing Procedure.
It is also important that the minimum post-dive procedures should be done using the Post-Dive Cleaning, Maintenance, and Inspection Checklist A2.6 checklist.
Just wiping down and changing the parts is not enough. The equipment should be fully immersed and follow the solution manufacturers’ guidelines for immersion time. The regulator cover, whiskers and valves should be opened up as stated in the checklists. Don’t forget about the neck dam and comms. The mic element is often overlooked and should receive the same attention as the other components that come in contact with the face.
Ensuring every diver has their own head cushion and oral nasal mask with valve, nose block pad has great value as well.
Concerning one of the KMDSI recommended sanitizing products Steramine:
Steramine Efficacy Summary
|
As recommended by Tony Alleman, MD MPH
Chairman, Physicians Diving Advisory Committee, ADCI:
As the COVID-19 situation ramps up, concerns about the health risk to divers coming into the clinic for annual dive medicals have been expressed by industry stakeholders.This advisory notice is sanctioned by the ADCI Physicians Diving Advisory Committee (PDAC) and is intended to clarify the issue of whether dive physicians will continue perform dive medical examinations during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been decided that the decision to perform dive medical examinations should be left up to the individual physician, in conjunction with the diving contractors that they service, to determine how to approach this situation. While it may be totally appropriate to continue examinations in some areas, it may be inappropriate to continue examinations in other areas that have more COVID-19 cases.
Proper screening protocols should be put into place prior to testing. If physicians are able to completely segregate individuals with symptoms from those that are healthy, they should be able to continue to provide care for healthy individuals.
The ADCI, under advisement from PDAC, is granting a 1 July 2020 extension on a case-by-case basis for those dive medicals that are about to expire. Diving Physicians will need to review the previous dive physicals to determine if the extension will be granted.
It should be noted that the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) advises suspension of routine occupational spirometry testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spirometry, the most frequently performed pulmonary function test (PFT), is the cornerstone of occupational respiratory surveillance programs.
Myth Busting
False information about the virus, including transmission, prevention strategies, and potential treatments are circulating on the internet and social media. To help curb these theories and provide accurate information, the World Health Organization (WHO) has put together this helpful myth busters site:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
|
As companies and governments continue to advise employees to work from home, the construction industry —in which remote work doesn't translate to jobsite progress, supply chain interruptions could halt work and contracts are on strict timelines — is faced with extra uncertainty.
|
Apache Corp. and Total have achieved a second oil discovery in block 58 offshore Suriname. The drillship Noble Sam Croft drilled the Sapakara West-1 well south of the Maka Central-1 discovery (announced earlier this year) to a depth of around 6,300 m (20,700 ft).
|
Here's a glimpse into Underwater Intervention 2020, which took place from February 4-6, 2020, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.Underwater Intervention once again took New Orleans by storm.
To view the ADCI TV archives, please click here.
|
The ADCI encourages all members to be vigilant within their companies and schools in exercising the recommended practices from health officials and the WHO for mitigating the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
By now, the world should know that COVID-19 is a very infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus, unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems, or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.
COVID-19 spreads from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people catch COVID-19 by touching these objects and surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. People can catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets.
The most effective known ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue, and maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from people who are coughing and sneezing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings. Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local health authorities.
The ADCI encourages all industry stakeholders to thoroughly risk assess any planned air travel or any form of travel to areas with wide-spread outbreak.
|
Offshore, OGUK’s advice is to follow guidance provided by Healthcare Protection Scotland. Some operators have been looking to stagger catering hours to avoid too many personnel being in close proximity to each other.
|
Hurricane Energy has confirmed that a crew member on the FPSO Aoka Mizu at the Lancaster oil field west of Shetland has been evacuated to the mainland for medical reasons.
|
Activities undertaken by the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) have transferred to the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) in Aberdeen, supported by £3-million funding to boost low carbon technology.
|
The contract, which includes two year-long extension options, will see N-Sea operate the multipurpose support vessel, Geosea, which arrived at the naval base at Den Helder, the Netherlands.
|
Ocean Eye, Inc.’s Chris Gabel covers something that gets installed, and let’s face it, gets pretty ignored after that. Those little rubber hoses of joy, the bailout whips.
|
|
| |
|
