New guidance for diving ops with Nitrox

Surface supplied diving is sometimes carried out using a breathing gas mix of nitrogen and oxygen, with a higher percentage of oxygen in the mix than in natural compressed air. The common industry terminology for such a gas mix is nitrox.

The new guidance identifies what is generally regarded in the diving industry as good practice to achieve safe working during surface supplied diving operations using nitrox. National regulations may exist in some parts of the world that restrict or exclude the use of this technique (for example, by restricting depth or oxygen partial pressures). In such cases these regulations must always take precedence over this guidance.

Sections of the new publication deal with safety considerations, personnel, equipment, and decompression tables. The safety considerations section includes information on operational limits, risk assessment, equipment failure, fire and explosion risk, maximum partial pressure of oxygen, bail-out bottle, secondary surface gas supplies, surface standby diver, oxygen toxicity, and breathing apparatus.

Like all IMCA guidance documents IMCA D 048 can be downloaded via both the public and members only websites free of charge, with printed copies available to members at £2.50, or £5.00 for non-members (plus 20% for delivery outside Europe). Copies can be ordered online, or from publications@imca-int.com.