ABSTRACT

In one respect the German regulations for compressed air work are enlightened, in that they provide for the use of oxygen breathing during decompression; this is not yet common practice worldwide, despite being widely recognised as beneficial to the health of the workers. A review of the requirements of the Druckluftverordnung, issued 1972, in the light of developments over the last 20 years in hyperbaric physiology and occupational medicine, reveals some weaknesses in the regulations. They do not cover working pressures of more than 4 bar absolute; the need for which is shown by the tunnel recently dug under Kiel Harbour. While ‘exceptional permission’ can be granted for deeper work on the basis of safety equality with other methods, there are no provisions for dealing with the special aspects of such exposures. The regulations call for a doctor, but do not specify the special training needed to manage such high-pressure exposures; further, there is no requirement for either the workers or the site manager to be trained in the physiology of work at pressure. We propose a seminar for training of compressed air worksite supervisors. The German philosophy is for work regulations to cover all hazards; and this one fails to deal with noise protection, hygiene aspects, gas analysis, and protection against breathing concrete spray. Facility requirements do not include recording of all pressure exposures, redundancy in communications systems, or back-up supplies of gas. Perhaps the greatest need is in the field of decompression procedures.