Diving Risk Management: Establishing a Culture of Safety and Care – by Al Hornsby, owner, Al Hornsby Productions, Singapore Recently retired after more than 42 years as a senior executive with PADI, Al is regarded as one of the industry’s most experienced risk management litigation executives. BUSINESS EDU
While diving is an activity with risks that can never be completely elimi- nated, accident analysis over the years has shown that accident rates (which can be used to infer the likelihood of accidents occurring) can be reduced by a dive center establishing clear,
ities – student sign-ups (especially paperwork such as releases and medical history forms), equipment rental procedures and forms, air-fill procedures and forms (especially when mixed gases are provided), dive-excursion paperwork, and the proper retaining and storage of the paperwork completed. It should be noted that, of the two major dive litigations in recent years, one involved an incorrectly-completed dive medical form and the other, a poor rental-gear protocol that led directly to a tragic, completely avoidable diver fatality. Along with such day-to-day procedural aspects, a safety cul- ture can also be significantly affected by the mix of training courses promoted. Through a study of dive accidents carried out and published by PADI some years ago, it became clear that divers with different dive training and certification levels could have surprisingly different fatality rates. Programs rich in continuing education, not surprisingly, could generally ex- pect lower accident rates than programs chiefly focused on Open Water Diver training programs. For example, overall, the fatality rates for Rescue Divers and Specialty divers were roughly ½ the rates for those certified just as Open Water Divers. From this, not unexpectedly, one could anticipate that for dive centers with a clear, documented focus on dive safety, and with an increased percentage of ongoing dive customers having higher levels of training and experience (as a result of a healthy continuing education program), there can be
documented procedures that guide in-store activities for both dive training and recreational diving operations, and through the ongoing promotion of continuing diver educa- tion. Also significant are the positive effects in defending po- tential litigation when a customer accident may happen. The following input has been developed specifically considering related errors and the less-than-optimum defenses available in dive accidents and litigation occurring in recent years. And, in a dive claim, plaintiffs’ attorneys (especially the experienced ones) are also typically familiar with the common ‘misses’ when it comes to procedures and paperwork that may be in- volved or linked with dive accidents-misses which can be used to discredit and/orcast blame on the associated dive profes- sionals. The starting point for all of this should be an overall store procedures manual , used in training new employees and contractors when they come onboard, and to be re-reviewed when subsequent procedural changes occur (both of which should be documented in their records) This manual should also be available for ongoing reference and reminder. Such manuals, once created, are fairly easy to keep current because most stores’ (and dive boats’) procedures, once established and utilized, don’t typically need changing very often. The guidelines covered should reflect the store’s important activ-
some corresponding reduction in the probability of dive accidents occurring. Over time this could be significant, not only in aiding diver safety in the first place, but also providing a meaningful de- fense for litigation should an accident occur.
email Al
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker