TRAINING
Accidents in the Blue Too-Often Aren’t Accidents ‘Out of the Blue’ – by Al Hornsby, owner, Al Hornsby Productions, Singapore Al is regarded as one of the industry’s most experienced risk management litigation executives.
The old expression about something having occurred ‘out of the blue’ means, basically, that something that happened was a random, unpredictable event. When it comes to dive accidents, while they typically occur ‘in the blue’ (if you’ll excuse the play-on-words), history
bottom, well-lit, with lots of fish to see. Wanting to give his group a ‘special’ experience, he began leading them into the tube’s overhead environment (clearly a violation of all intro- ductory scuba standards). One of the first-time intro divers, however, indicated that he wasn’t comfortable going in. Rather than taking them all to continue exploring the reef, the instruc- tor had the reluctant diver wait alone outside the tube while he took the others in. Frightened and now alone, the diver (who, of course, had only rudimentary buoyancy skills) began gradually floating up, only to be struck by the prop of a passing boat, whose crew had no idea he was there, just beneath the surface.
shows clearly that, despite diving being an activity with inher- ent risks, the most serious, most traumatic accidents in our sport typically were not random at all, but occurred because the known risks – and the safety procedures and practices our
industry has so carefully developed to protect divers from those risks - were too often ignored. In fact, even a cursory review of past, serious dive accidents shows clearly the strong relationship be- tween procedures and practices that were outside established standards
The results of this simple, com- pletely unnecessary, indefensible ac- cident and the litigation that followed - especially considering the gross standards violation involved (leaving an introductory diver unattended un- derwater) - were profound… The
and norms, and resultant accidents. And, if litigation occurred (and it was certainly more likely once it became apparent that the accident occurred while standards or best practices were not being followed), the chances for damaging judgements or expensive settlements went up as well. A sad but simple example, which actually kicked off decades of costly dive litigation – especially because it led directly to one of diving’s most well-known, experienced defense attor- neys becoming one of the most active litigators against the in- dustry – shows how simple, obvious violations of standards and good practice can so easily open the door to completely unnecessary accidents and costly litigation. The dive was a straightforward introductory scuba experi- ence, in about 35 feet of water on a reef in Hawaii. Conditions were calm, the water was clear, and the small group of partic- ipants was having the time of their lives. At one point, the in- structor showed them a lava tube that meandered across the
diver, whose work skills needed his hand and arm, lost most of their use…and his profession – and the settlement was con- siderable. Sadly, for the dive industry, it also led the attorney involved – realizing that plaintiffs’ work (especially when stan- dards violations were involved) was far easier and more lucra- tive than defense – to switch sides and to begin a new, long career suing the dive industry when dive accidents occurred. To help prevent such unnecessary accidents – and to remind your staff, as well as to give your customers (many of whom, especially introductory divers, will be nervous) some security and comfort – include in the briefings reassurance concerning the standards you’ll be following, such as those of your pro-
fessional dive organization, ISO, WRSTC and others. It won’t take long, and it can also serve as a reminder to staff that there is no room for lati- tude – especially when it involves introductory scuba participants.
email Al
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker