How did the Byford Dolphin accident happen?

On 17 April 2002, a 44-year-old Norwegian worker on the rig was struck on the head and killed in an industrial accident. The accident resulted in Byford Dolphin losing an exploration contract with Statoil, which expressed concerns with the rig’s operating procedures.

What happened to martin saunders Byford Dolphin?

The sole survivor, Martin Saunders was left with devastating injuries. When the crew’s diving chamber explosively decompressed from a pressure of nine atmospheres to one atmosphere, the five men were killed instantly, with their blood reaching boiling point in a matter of seconds.

What is the diving bell accident?

The Wildrake diving accident was an incident in Scotland in August 1979 that killed two American commercial divers. During a routine dive in the East Shetland Basin of the North Sea, the diving bell of the diving support vessel MS Wildrake became separated from its main lift wire at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft).

How does a decompression chamber work?

Chamber of Wonders Recompression chambers work, in essence, by recreating the environment of a dive at depth, then very slowly bringing the diver “up” in a controlled manner, allowing the body to do what it should have done in the first place.

Can you explode from decompression?

Exposure to a vacuum causes the body to explode The second type of decompression changes from exceptionally high pressure (many atmospheres) to normal atmospheric pressure (one atmosphere) as may occur in deep-sea diving.

What is explosive decompression O ring?

Explosive Decompression (also referred to as Rapid Gas Decompression or RGD) is a failure mechanism of elastomer seals and O-rings that is caused by a rapid reduction in pressure of a gaseous media.

What is the most common cause of injury in diving accidents?

The most common injuries and causes of death were drowning or asphyxia due to inhalation of water, air embolism and cardiac events.

How does decompression occur?

Decompression sickness, also called generalized barotrauma or the bends, refers to injuries caused by a rapid decrease in the pressure that surrounds you, of either air or water. It occurs most commonly in scuba or deep-sea divers, although it also can occur during high-altitude or unpressurized air travel.

What happens in decompression?

(Decompression Illness; Caisson Disease; The Bends) Decompression sickness is a disorder in which nitrogen dissolved in the blood and tissues by high pressure forms bubbles as pressure decreases. Symptoms can include fatigue and pain in muscles and joints.

What causes explosive decompression?

Decompression can occur due to structural failure of the pressure vessel, or failure of the compression system itself. The speed and violence of the decompression is affected by the size of the pressure vessel, the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the vessel, and the size of the leak hole.

How does explosive decompression happen?

Explosive decompression happens when something causes the cabin to rapidly lose its pressure. This may be because of a failure in the structure of the plane or a collision with an external object. Air is constantly trying to push out of this high-pressure environment into the lower pressure of the exterior.