How Accidents Happen In The Hyperbaric Environment

For some accidents there is a "smoking gun". However, most accidents are caused by a combination of factors, each of which contributes in some manner. Often these factors accumulate over some period of time preceeding the accident. This chapter addresses the factors that foster conditions under which accidents are more likely to happen and discusses some of the steps to be taken to avoid them. Also included is a case history illustrating several of the factors. 

Creating the Necessary Conditions

The factors that commonly contribute to situations favoring accidents can generally be divided into four groups:

• Personnel/management
• Design factors: facility and equipment 
• Equipment failure
• Access/tampering

Each of these groups and their constituent factors are discussed in depth in Chapter 6.1 of Hyperbaric Facility Safety A Practical Guide, Second Edition. 

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Reference: Hyperbaric Facility Safety: A Practical Guide, 2nd Edition