![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cadc.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ddimage0-300x196.jpg\")
The health of our divers and support personnel has never been more important than it is now, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that \u201chot-swapping\u201d of diving equipment is a common, and often necessary, practice used on a dive site. We also know that, unless appropriate proactive measures are taken, we run a real risk of compromising the health of our team members and jeopardizing the completion of the job.<\/p>\n
Here are some practical guidelines and instructions for ensuring risks to health are not only reduced but also eliminated. This information has been collated from various equipment manufacturers and applies to all underwater breathing apparatus. First, a couple of common questions and answers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>What do we mean by \u201ccleaning\u201d and \u201csanitization\u201d?<\/p>\n A: <\/strong>\u201cCleaning\u201d cares for dive equipment and helps to keep the equipment serviceable. Cleaning is the pre-cursor or foundation to \u201csanitization\u201d that protects the health of our team members. Clean first, then sanitize!<\/p>\n Q: <\/strong>What is the difference between \u201csanitization\u201d and \u201cdisinfection\u201d?<\/p>\n A: <\/strong>Technically-speaking, \u201csanitization\u201d reduces contamination to a safe level, while \u201cdisinfection\u201d kills everything on a particular surface. In diving, we use the term \u201csanitization\u201d to describe a less harsh process of disinfection, since we are also concerned about any process that could damage or degrade the dive equipment itself.<\/p>\n The COVID-19 threat<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Government of Canada COVID-19 website, current evidence suggests person-to-person spread is efficient when there is close contact. Viruses like COVID-19 are commonly spread from an infected person through:<\/p>\n The best option is personal dive equipment<\/strong><\/p>\n The best option is to have your own equipment, whether it\u2019s a helmet or full facemask (FFM), that is only used by you. If this is not possible\u2014for example, when using employer-provided equipment\u2014then, having specific personal items such as your own helmet liner, oral-nasal and nose blocker is common sense and promotes good hygiene. Always remember to clean and sanitize these personal items periodically to protect yourself against other health hazards.<\/p>\n Three-step procedure for cleaning dive equipment in the field<\/strong><\/p>\n Sanitization procedure<\/strong><\/p>\n Always check that your chosen sanitizing agent is effective against the particular threat\u2014in this case, COVID-19.<\/p>\n Q: <\/strong>Is mouthwash suitable for use as a sanitizing agent?<\/p>\n A: <\/strong>No. The product may be effective against germs (primarily, bacteria) that cause plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath, but, in general, anti-bacterial and chlorhexidine mouthwashes or sprays are ineffective as sanitizing agents for dive equipment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Q: <\/strong>What sanitizing agent should I use?<\/p>\n A: <\/strong>For diving purposes, the sanitizing product needs to be a broad-spectrum agent that is effective against the threats of fungus, tuberculosis, bacteria and<\/strong> viruses. It must also be compatible with dive equipment and be easy to use.<\/p>\n The foundational study and reference on this subject is the Defence Research & Development Canada (DRDC) report, A Literature Review of Disinfectants: Effects When Used by CF Divers in Cleaning Rebreather Sets.<\/em>1 The information contained in this public-access document (simply Google it) is still valid today and the outcome was the adoption of Virkon S (or Virkon) for sanitization of dive equipment by the Canadian Armed Forces. There is extensive experience in Canada with Virkon, and the product is now the standard for use on all dive equipment with many other organizations and companies across Canada. Kirby Morgan has also published an online technical bulletin with advice on cleaning and sanitizing KM helmets, bandmasks, and FFM (Bulletin #3 of 2020).<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n