§ Mr. Smallasked the Secretary of State for Energy what action he took following the deaths of two divers on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf on 9th September; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John SmithThe Senior Diving Inspector of my Department conducted an immediate investigation into the accident which led to the deaths of two divers on the drilling rig WAAGE II on 9th September to establish how the accident happened and also to discover as quickly as possible what lessons could be learned and applied elsewhere in the diving industry.
The actual cause of death was established as hyperthermia. This is the first time in North Sea diving operations that hyperthermia has been found to be a hazard to divers. Consequently, the Senior Diving Inspector telegraphed diving companies throughout the world alerting them to the necessity of maintaining a diver in a safe thermal balance whilst in a decompression chamber.