P621 CJEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:41/20 ] 1/13 999 Friday 21 June This week 999 featured information on diving safety. There are only 35 recompression chambers in the country and in an emjrgjncy most people wouldn't be able to get to one in just a few minutes. So it's important for divers to minimisj the risk of accident by following a few basic rules and for all of us to be able to recognisj when a diver needs help. Plan your dive to suit the least experienced person. Stick to the plan. It's difficult to communicate underwater and changes can bj confusing and dangerous. TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:38/54 ] 2/13 999 Friday 21 June Tell the coastguards about your plans, where you are, the number of people. Let them know when youWvj safely returned to the shore. Check the tides and weather, plus any particular local conditions. You may have to cut short the dive if the weather deteriorates, so make sure everyone understands the signal to return to the surface. A dive marshal always stays on the surface, on the boat or ashore. They check safety equipment and will find out where the nearest recompression chamber is, but divers must bj responsible for their own gear. TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 651 Fri 28 Jun 19:44/01 3/13 999 Friday 21 June The marshal will also sort out buddy pairs. Avoid an odd number in your group so no-one dives alone. In buddy diving, two people dive as a team and each keeps an jyj on their diving partner. If you are separated from your buddy, search for about 30 seconds underwater, before surfacing to look there. Tell the dive boat what's happening. Use the familiar OK sign to show everything's all right. Any other signal will bj taken bz the marshal as 'conj and get me'. If there's no signal, a diver could bj in trouble. TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:41/23 4/13 999 Friday 21 June The National Diving Committee of the British Sub Aqua Club recommends a maximum depth of 50 metres if you'ri very experienced. Othjrwisj, stay above 30 metres. If you're making sjvjtal dives in a day, start with the deepest and do no more than three in 24 hours. Decompression illness, The Bends, happens when divers surface too fast. The change in pressure causes bubbtis to form in the blood and tissues. It's prevented bz surfacing in stagrs known as decompression stops. The safe rate of ascent is in diving tables but you should know your limitations and make allowance for your age and fitness. ] TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:41/37 5/13 999 Friday 21 June The symptoms of The Bends are - pain in the joints, skin irritation, numbness, nausea, shortness of breath/tight chest, vision or balance is disturbed, convulsions, unconsciousness. It also affects a diver's judgemjnt so bj wary if they say thjyWre fine but seem unwell. The symptoms can show up quickly or hours after a dive. A short interval is associated with a short, deep dive; a longer interval with longer, shallow dives. Symptoms occurring after 48 hours are unlikely to bj dui to decompression illness. ] TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:42/42 6/13 999 Friday 21 June If a diver gets the Bends at sea, dial 999 and the Coastguard will arrange their transfer to a recompression chamber. Inland, dial 999 and get them to hospital as fast as possible, and then call the Portsmouth Naval base for advice. (Tel: 01705 818888). Rjmjmbjr, the diver's buddy may have been exposed to the same risks. A recompression chamber creates the pressure at which the diver was operating, then reduces it over several hours so the bubbles gradually disperse as they would in a safe ascent. TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:48/06 7/13 999 Friday 21 June Eor dive training contact: The British Sub Aqua Club Tjlford's Quay Ellesmere Port South Wirral Cheshire L6k 4FZ Tel: 0151 357 1951 PADI International Ltd Unit 6 Unicom Park Whitbz Road Bristol BS4 4EX Tel: 0117 971 1717 TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:35/11 8/13 999 Friday 21 June Further information about water safety is included in the 999 Lifesaver vjdjo Would You Know What To Do? To obtain your copy send a chjquj or postal order for £9.99 payable to BBC Education to: BBC 999 Lifesaver Video Pack PO Box 7 London W5 2GQ If you would like to find out about lifesaving courses, the organisations on the following pages run courses all over the UK - contact your local branch or write to the head office. TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 (V BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:39/26 9/13 999 Friday 21 June Heart Start US c/o British Heart Foundation 14 Fitzhardingj Street London W1H 4DH Tel: 0171 935 0185 Edinburgh Office Tel: 0131 225 1067 British Red Cross 9 Grosvjnor Crescent London SW1X 7EJ Tel: 0171 235 5454 The Royal Lifesaving Society UK Mountbatten House Studley Warwickshire B80 7NN Tel: 01527 853943 TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:40/31 1P/13 999 Friday 21 June St John Ambulance 1 Grosvjnor Crescent London SW1X 7EF Tel: 0171 235 5231 St Andrew's Ambulance Association St Andrew'u House Milton Street Glasgow G4 0HR Tel: 0141 332 4031 The Surf Life Saving Association Vernjy House 115 Sidwell Street Exitet Devon EX4 6RZ Tel: 01392 54364 TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:40/54 11/13 999 Friday 21 June NHS Ambulance Service Contact your local Headquarters Emjrgjncy Medical Care 81 Eldrick Avjnuj Fauld House West Lothian EH4 79BE Groups preferable. Courses in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Central Scotland Tel: 01501 771733 Orkney Tel: 01856 850584 TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BAC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:43/00 12/13 999 Friday 21 June 999 is now preparing for the autumn series of the programmj. If you have any stories, video footage of rescues or comments about the present series of 999 you can e-mail us at the following address: 999@bbc.co.uk Alternatively, write to: BBC 999 Broadcasting House Whiteladies Road Bristol BS8 2LR ] TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV SkyP621 CEEFAX 621 Fri 28 Jun 19:47/24 13/13 999 Friday 21 June Wj are also planning a sjties from next year featuring interesting or unusual rescues from all over the world. Sjties Producer Trevor Hill would like to hear from you if you have information about good stories, whether or not they involve British citizens. If you can put us in touch with somjonj who is willing to talk to us about their involvement in an exotic rescue ovjrsjas, particularly if actual footage of the events may exist, then please write to Trevor Hill at: BBC :{9 Broadcasting House Whiteladies Road Bristol BS8 2LR TV Links 610 BBC1 601 LjgalProg BBC1 TV BBC2 TV Sky