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Rescue and emergencies
Emergency plans
Rescue and resuscitation
First aid
Oxygen
Marine stings
Emergency plans
- Ensure that a snorkelling vessel has a written emergency plan.
- Make written emergency plans available to workers who should be familiar with these plans. Include the following situations:
- first aid
- rescue
- evacuation
- missing persons.
Rescue and resuscitation
- Develop effective and efficient rescue and resuscitation procedures. When developing these procedures, consider:
- size, type and location of the snorkelling site
- appropriateness of rescue procedures to the snorkelling site
- adequacy of the communication system
- location of lookouts/rescuers and their skills and fitness levels
- availability, location and appropriateness of any rescue equipment.
First aid
- Have a first aid kit available at the dive site. Check that it is stocked with necessary equipment to treat injuries that may occur and can to cater for the number of snorkellers present.
- Ensure that a person on the surface at the snorkelling site is currently trained in first aid including expired air resuscitation (EAR), CPR and oxygen administration.
Oxygen
- Make available an oxygen system capable of providing a spontaneously breathing person with an inspired oxygen concentration of as near as possible to 100%.
- Check oxygen equipment and oxygen levels. The check must be carried out daily by a person trained to conduct the checks correctly.
- Provide sufficient oxygen to supply the injured person, taking into account the location of the dive site and access to medical facilities.
Marine stings
- Advise snorkellers of the risks of marine jellyfish, where to access first aid and appropriate precautions.
- Where possible, stock the first aid kit to deal with marine stings.
Last updated February 15, 2006