DIMS - Diving Incident Monitoring Study

Richard Harris · 9th August 2005, 07:43

Those outside of Australia may not be aware of the DIMS, a study which uses incident analysis to try and produce preventative measures and remedies from anecdotal data. This type of incident analysis is common in the aviation industry and in medicine. The important thing is that an incident need not produce an injury to give us important information; in fact many potentially hazardous situations, equipment failures or training deficits are detected BEFORE they hurt someone.

I have at last got an electronic form organised for submission of incidents to the DIMS. It is available on my website at http://www.divedoc.net/diving_medicine/dims.asp

The form in necessarily lengthy (don't be scared!) but should be much quicker to fill in now. When you click submit, it sends an email to me containing everything you wrote in the form. It remains anonymous and just tells me the website where the form came from (the form is available on various websites).

So next time you have a mishap whilst diving, no matter how small or insignificant, I would love to hear from you. All the info will be fed back to divers via the popular websites and dive mags, as well as forming the basis for articles in peer reviewed diving medicine journals.

I would especially encourage organised groups of tech divers to encourage data submission eg wreck and cave exploration groups. Forms can still be downloaded in pdf to print out for trips, from www.danseap.org/Page97.html

I appreciate your efforts, apologies if you have received copies of this information through different lists

**Steve** · 9th August 2005, 08:18

I think this should get a spot in a prominent place, even more than a sticky I mean. How about it boss?

***caveseeker7*** · 9th August 2005, 14:11

Richard, thanks for the notification and for collecting the data in the first place.

dteubner · 9th August 2005, 22:11

The form is incredibly easy to use, takes less than 10 minutes to complete. If you have a problem, take the time to do the form, the more we know about accidents the less likely they are to happen.

Mdemon · 24th October 2005, 21:39

Quote: (Originally Posted by Richard Harris)

Those outside of Australia may not be aware of the DIMS, a study which uses incident analysis to try and produce preventative measures and remedies from anecdotal data. ...is available on my website at http://www.divedoc.net/diving_medicine/dims.asp

Richard, can I suggest a modification or two?

Could you add a bit, or better yet a separate form, to deal with actual injury? I'm thinking of DCS mainly but there is no reason why other injuries (hypothermia, puncture wounds etc) couldn't be covered. You already have suitable forms being a doc, all I would add is something I've alluded to in another thread; a section allowing the choice of which dive tables or computer was used.

Then we will start to get statistics on which tables/computers have been used or misused and for what depths and types of diver. It maybe that some tables are more appropriate for CCR than others for example. We don't know currently either way.

Any chance? Or should this be something we do on Rebreather World Stuart?

(Apologies if this has been done elsewhere and I've just not looked hard enough...

)

Richard Harris · 25th October 2005, 00:22

Quote: (Originally Posted by Mdemon)

Richard, can I suggest a modification or two?

Could you add a bit, or better yet a separate form, to deal with actual injury? I'm thinking of DCS mainly but there is no reason why other injuries (hypothermia, puncture wounds etc) couldn't be covered. You already have suitable forms being a doc, all I would add is something I've alluded to in another thread; a section allowing the choice of which dive tables or computer was used.

Then we will start to get statistics on which tables/computers have been used or misused and for what depths and types of diver. It maybe that some tables are more appropriate for CCR than others for example. We don't know currently either way.

Hi there and many thanks for the suggestions.

The DIMS really looks at processes rather than results in other words why did something happen, not so much what was the outcome. By identifying why things go wrong, we can try and make recommendations to prevent them. This is why I am interested in reports that say stuff like "I forgot to turn on my O2 on the KISS but noticed my handset read 0.23 just in time". No injury occured but it was a near miss. If I get 20 reports like this, then you could discuss strategies in training, alarms, design which might get around this...preferably before someone actually dies. So the actual injury or lack of it is of less importance to me.

Regarding the use of specific table/computers etc and the incidence of DCI, I guess DAN's Project Dive Exploration (PDE) is doing just that and their massive database is not something I wish to duplicate. Also I think Dr Andrew Fock in Melbourne Australia has been looking at something along these lines for tech/CCR diving.

Getting plenty of reports in thanks everyone...keep them coming!

9th August 2005, 07:43	#1 (permalink)
Richard Harris Dr Harry Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss MK 15.X Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 118	DIMS - Diving Incident Monitoring Study Those outside of Australia may not be aware of the DIMS, a study which uses incident analysis to try and produce preventative measures and remedies from anecdotal data. This type of incident analysis is common in the aviation industry and in medicine. The important thing is that an incident need not produce an injury to give us important information; in fact many potentially hazardous situations, equipment failures or training deficits are detected BEFORE they hurt someone. I have at last got an electronic form organised for submission of incidents to the DIMS. It is available on my website at http://www.divedoc.net/diving_medicine/dims.asp The form in necessarily lengthy (don't be scared!) but should be much quicker to fill in now. When you click submit, it sends an email to me containing everything you wrote in the form. It remains anonymous and just tells me the website where the form came from (the form is available on various websites). So next time you have a mishap whilst diving, no matter how small or insignificant, I would love to hear from you. All the info will be fed back to divers via the popular websites and dive mags, as well as forming the basis for articles in peer reviewed diving medicine journals. I would especially encourage organised groups of tech divers to encourage data submission eg wreck and cave exploration groups. Forms can still be downloaded in pdf to print out for trips, from www.danseap.org/Page97.html I appreciate your efforts, apologies if you have received copies of this information through different lists __________________ "Harry" www.divedoc.net
(Offline)

9th August 2005, 08:18	#2 (permalink)
Steve Ladies bring a plate Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Inspiration Classic Sport Kiss Classic Kiss MK 15.X Home Build Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Perth - Australia Posts: 1,041	I think this should get a spot in a prominent place, even more than a sticky I mean. How about it boss? __________________ WARNING: I contain occasional coarse language, extreme sexual references, nudity, and adult themes, which may offend some people - Usually churchy types.
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9th August 2005, 14:11	#3 (permalink)
*caveseeker7* Who loves ya, baby Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Too far from Neverland Posts: 5,281	Richard, thanks for the notification and for collecting the data in the first place. __________________ Cheers Stefan Be Water, My Friend - Bruce Lee Sponsor Lou in Race For Life!
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9th August 2005, 22:11	#4 (permalink)
dteubner Pedant Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Adelaide, Australia Posts: 216	The form is incredibly easy to use, takes less than 10 minutes to complete. If you have a problem, take the time to do the form, the more we know about accidents the less likely they are to happen.
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24th October 2005, 21:39	#5 (permalink)
Mdemon SiegeEngine II Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Home Build Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SWUK Posts: 1,866	Re: DIMS - Diving Incident Monitoring Study Quote: (Originally Posted by Richard Harris) Those outside of Australia may not be aware of the DIMS, a study which uses incident analysis to try and produce preventative measures and remedies from anecdotal data. ...is available on my website at http://www.divedoc.net/diving_medicine/dims.asp Richard, can I suggest a modification or two? Could you add a bit, or better yet a separate form, to deal with actual injury? I'm thinking of DCS mainly but there is no reason why other injuries (hypothermia, puncture wounds etc) couldn't be covered. You already have suitable forms being a doc, all I would add is something I've alluded to in another thread; a section allowing the choice of which dive tables or computer was used. Then we will start to get statistics on which tables/computers have been used or misused and for what depths and types of diver. It maybe that some tables are more appropriate for CCR than others for example. We don't know currently either way. Any chance? Or should this be something we do on Rebreather World Stuart? (Apologies if this has been done elsewhere and I've just not looked hard enough... ) __________________ www.southwestmafia.com
(Offline)

25th October 2005, 00:22	#6 (permalink)
Richard Harris Dr Harry Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss MK 15.X Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 118	Re: DIMS - Diving Incident Monitoring Study Quote: (Originally Posted by Mdemon) Richard, can I suggest a modification or two? Could you add a bit, or better yet a separate form, to deal with actual injury? I'm thinking of DCS mainly but there is no reason why other injuries (hypothermia, puncture wounds etc) couldn't be covered. You already have suitable forms being a doc, all I would add is something I've alluded to in another thread; a section allowing the choice of which dive tables or computer was used. Then we will start to get statistics on which tables/computers have been used or misused and for what depths and types of diver. It maybe that some tables are more appropriate for CCR than others for example. We don't know currently either way. Hi there and many thanks for the suggestions. The DIMS really looks at processes rather than results in other words why did something happen, not so much what was the outcome. By identifying why things go wrong, we can try and make recommendations to prevent them. This is why I am interested in reports that say stuff like "I forgot to turn on my O2 on the KISS but noticed my handset read 0.23 just in time". No injury occured but it was a near miss. If I get 20 reports like this, then you could discuss strategies in training, alarms, design which might get around this...preferably before someone actually dies. So the actual injury or lack of it is of less importance to me. Regarding the use of specific table/computers etc and the incidence of DCI, I guess DAN's Project Dive Exploration (PDE) is doing just that and their massive database is not something I wish to duplicate. Also I think Dr Andrew Fock in Melbourne Australia has been looking at something along these lines for tech/CCR diving. Getting plenty of reports in thanks everyone...keep them coming! __________________ "Harry" www.divedoc.net
(Offline)

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