jim suit

DANGERS OF THE DEEP

The title of this page may seem a bit dramatic but any sort of diving can (by its very nature) be a dangerous business. That being said, diving research can therefore be considered particularly hazardous, since dealing with the unknown will inevitably involve elements of risk no matter how much of a priority is placed on safety aspects.
In this section, the well-being of those involved in the JIM Suit project is examined with a view to highlighting just some of the issues that should be given attention whenever an individual or indeed a group of people decide to venture into an atmospheric diving suit or submersible.

N.B. This is, by no means, a complete or comprehensive descripton of the safety issues that were (or should be) taken into account.

Introduction

It would be wrong to say that no safety incidents occurred during the JIM project and certainly some challenging situations did arise, but these were quickly resolved. So it is of particular concern when, in view of all the work that has gone into gaining much valuable knowledge that lives are still being lost, even to this day.

Anyone can get into a submersible and ‘have a play’, but they are essentially relying on the expertise of others. Therefore, in making that choice, every individual must also be prepared to take an amount of personal responsibility.

The phrase ‘lessons learned’ is frequently quoted these days but how much credence does this really have? Are people prepared to carry out any investigation into the past before undertaking diving projects ‘commercial or otherwise‘? This is certainly a question worth asking. The bottom line is ‘if you break the rules, there will inevitably be consequences’ ... and these will be particulary poignant if the rules have already been established, often through a great deal of hard work.

Lloyds Certification

The JIM project: During manufacture, the JIM suit was subjected to a rigerous Lloyds inspection. This was also necessary after purchase and every three years thereafter. The JIM Suit and all the associated equipment had to be carefully prepared for these inspections which would last a whole day on site at Horsea Island. If the inspection was sucessful a Lloyds Certificate would be issued and this would be filed in the Service Manual. Of course any issues found would have to be resolved before a certificate was obtained.

The JIM Suit also required regular maintenance e.g. it was examined after every dive to ensure that all was well and no damage had occurred.

Points to consider: Does the submersible have a Lloyds certificate? This is important as it will ensure compliance with the safety standards.

COMPANY, PILOT AND CREW

The JIM project: This was carried out under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence (specifically the Experimental Diving Unit and the Royal Naval Physiological Laboratory) with trained and qualified staff who also liaised with outside specialists in the field.

Points to consider: The credibility of the company and the expertise of its staff.

LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS

The JIM Project: Now in this respect the JIM Suit will differ somewhat from other submersibles. Divers in the JIM Suit were there to carry out a task using their specialist skills such as those required for submarine recovery or mine clearance. But they also had to be trained in the management of their own life support systems e.g. monitoring the oxygen level, confirming that the carbon dioxide scrubber system was functioning correctly, ensuring that they were able to effectively communicate with topside etc. One main advantage of the JIM Suit was that it did not rely on power from electrical or hydrolic systems. However, being man‑powered the operator had to be a) very fit and b) attend a two week on site training course to learn how to get the best out of the suit. At the end of the course the operator was required to take a two hour examination and if successful would be issued a certificate of completion.

Points to consider: It is important to be aware that from the moment the hatch is closed there is a danger of death and this can occur within five minutes, sometimes without the person being fully aware of the seriousness of the situation (as in the case of low oxygen levels i.e. hypoxia).

SOME EXAMPLES OF DETAILED SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

The pages below have been extracted from the JIM Service Manual (notice the ‘Lloyds Register of Shipping, Offshore Services Group’ stamp). They give examples of the detail which is expected for the maintenance and survey of the ADS (Image 1), the testing and survey of equipment (Image 2) and two example pages of what is required for the fitness to dive certificate for ADS Maintenance and the ADS Operator (Images 3 and 4 respectively).

MANTIS – A SUBMERSIBLE EXAMPLE

Mantis is a manned submersible, although it could be used as a ROV instead. It was also famous as one of the underwater villains in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only (1981). The following link shows: Mantis in use ‑ Image 8 on this website, courtesy of Andy Price and further information can be found on: The Science Museum Group web site. The author did get in one once and found it particularly uncomfortable, even for a short amount of time, as the operator has to lie prone on a metal sheet. It is only mentioned here to confirm that submersibles are not necessarily going to be comfortable, even in the most favourable of circumstances!