Pearl diver dies in Broome

[Nerida]

Hi - I have had crossed lines here - didn't see this thread and have posted the link to the Four Corners program on the thread that Jeremy started.

Having just watched the program there are some major questions, but the lack of response from Paspaley to the program seems to have more to do with the ongoing formal investigations. Still terribly terribly sad. I wouldn't want any of my kids telling me they wanted to do that job..

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I think empathy for the bereaved family is in order, along with respect for the professionalism of the ABC journalists, and a mind to the importance of free speech. Perhaps you might watch the program online before making a judgement about whether it's "led by the family"? I would think it's more likely that the journalist sought out the family - and Paspaley - for comment. Also, if there are disgruntled divers prepared to speak on the program, that may well mean that some of Paspaley's business practices in that remote part of Western Australia warrant scrutiny. Australia values its workers and lives, has first-rate industrial protections, and will always investigate workplace deaths in a forensic and thorough way - even if that makes a business a little uncomfortable ...

What's to scrutinize? If Paspaley performed dive operations day after day for years in the same place, then one day a diver dies, chances are the diver is at fault. They continue to operate as always, without accidents.

Of course we should have empathy for the diver's family, but it seems you've made up your mind that somehow Paspaley is negligent, without a shred of evidence other than the biased opinions of third party malcontents. Disgruntled divers are bad divers, period. According to this story, they put money issues ahead of their own safety and blame society for their shortcomings.

 

[Nerida]

I don't think it was recommended to have a medical staffer - just to limit the number of 'green' divers on any boat at one time; and the presence of both an emergency diver (someone who is kitted up but remains onboard for an effective, quick rescue), and a rescue boat... none of these were present at the Paspaley operation.

Whilst there isn't a medical person on board every aircraft, there are staff well versed in emergency procedures on every aircraft.

 

[Nerida]

Here is the link again: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/07/05/3539781.htm

 

[Nerida]

Hi mary - yes, got a crossed thread thing going on here. I have posted the link on the other thread too.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I watched the video, but most of what I saw is a crock of hooey. The reporters are making the owners out to be slave drivers, forcing the divers into the water against their will. The reporters make out the diver as an experienced diver in their intro, then say he was a green diver. Which one is it?

The diver was on a 20 minute break and what did he do with that time? He had a cigarette! He self saturated most his own hemogloben with carbon monoxide, then got back in the water to perform arduous work. Not too bright if you ask me. One diver was complaining about poor visibility. Poor viz is the order of the day on almost every dive, especially working dives near or on the sediments. NOT ONCE, did they mention the likelyhood of the diver for panic, poor outfitting or the possibility of personal equipment malfunction. The diver finished his decompression at 10 feet and still had his weight belt on, so the parents claim that he executed his emergency assent correctly is blatantly false. The only reason why a person would not drop his lead, is because he's not willing to lose and replace it or it was turned backwards so he couldn't get at it, which would be his own fault for not securing it correctly. He was at the end of his hose, so there is no possibility that both hands were busy hanging on, because he was secured to the line. The buckle requires a simple, one finger flip and it's gone, then the bouyancy of the suit takes over and puts the diver high in the water so he can breathe. Face down, fully in the water is not the result of not having a weight belt on.
The reporter also wrongly assumes foam in the mask is consistent with drowning. It's not. Foam in the mask is consistent with an air embolism, which is caused by holding your breath on assent. Something even the greenest of green divers understand you cannot do, ever.

 

[Caitlin]

I combined the threads.

I await the facts. I hear the diver was a qualified scuba diver, but it does seem the proportion of new and experienced divers was risky...

I expect we can all learn a lot more about pearl diving jobs before this is all over. I do think one death in 20 years, if fully truthful, is a great record, and whatever happened this time, will never be repeated.

Meanwhile, I will enjoy people trying to get through any chinks in P's armor........ They are the equivalent of corporate soybean farmers, in my opinion. As I would like to see the family farm make a comeback, I like the idea of several companies, many companies, sharing that enormous pearl profit, instead of one giant corporation, but that is a personal opinion, however moral I think I am for supporting the little guys over the giant corporate equivalent.

Oh, yes, of course, they are a NICE corporation, a KIND corporation; they do not have a ruthless bone in their corporate beings. Sure they are. Sure they don't. Sure.

On second thought, watch this story disappear...... Mary may have to search diligently to find the follow ups -about how everything was kosher on the corporate side; it was diver error. AND they paid off the dude's family. Poof. End of story.

 

[pearlescence]

Caitlin..I doubt that Paspaley would be able to pay off the coroner

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I expect we can all learn a lot more about pearl diving jobs before this is all over. I do think one death in 20 years, if fully truthful, is a great record, and whatever happened this time, will never be repeated.

That's a fair statement. While any work related death is tragic, 20 years of commercial diving operations with only one fatality says alot about how their dive system operates.

I have dived for big companies and small companies. Most of the accidents and fatalities were with the small outfits, usually because of faulty equipment, improper training and supervisation or overzealous practices.

This will invariably come down to diver error, but Paspaley will likely be obligated to comply with new rule sets on hiring, training, task orientation and supervisory roles.

Perhaps a one tender per diver rule is in order here. Like aviation, divers should have a "work yourself into promotion" policy. Airlines don't put green pilots in the captain's seat from day one and many commercial dive companies do the same. New divers should start as deckhands, learning the ropes of the dive operation and maritime seamanship in general. Once a level of proficency is attained, they can become a tender. Again for a period of time, so the indvidual can get a grasp of the day to day workings of the divers. One the tender qualifies to dive, the divemaster should have the obligation to inspect the diver's equipment, state of mind or welfare and sign off on it before the dive commences.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Caitlin..I doubt that Paspaley would be able to pay off the coroner

I agree and I agree with your statement that Paspaley remains quiet because of the ongoing investigation and pending legalities. It's the right thing to do.

I'm all for investigative journalism, but these people have put the cart before the horse, hence their story is deeply biased and needlessly attributes the incident to unrelated matters.

 

[Caitlin]

Shock! I am not suggesting they would try to pay off the coroner. I don't think that works in 99+% of coroners in the US, either! Despite TV dramas.

indeed, I think it is most likely diver error and the only possible fault MIGHT be the proportion of green to experienced divers, which Paspaley will adjust -and probably never meant to do in the first place. And they will reimburse the family according to whatever contract the diver signed.

Poof. End of story.

Then they will continue to hire divers at the much lower rates. After all, it is perfectly legal to reduce salaries -even up to 20k a year- when profits are at stake. That is the part that burns my tush- if true.....

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I don't think it was recommended to have a medical staffer - just to limit the number of 'green' divers on any boat at one time; and the presence of both an emergency diver (someone who is kitted up but remains onboard for an effective, quick rescue), and a rescue boat... none of these were present at the Paspaley operation.

Whilst there isn't a medical person on board every aircraft, there are staff well versed in emergency procedures on every aircraft.

I'm pretty sure a standby diver is already a regulation in Oz. I know it is here.

The next issue is the rescue boat. If you've ever been to sea, boats (especially speed boats) can often be a choppy, back wrenching, kidney pounding ride. And that's when you are watching where you are going. A patient strapped to a gurney can't buffer waves or get a sense of the ride because they can't see. Besides that, it's a horrible thing to do to a person with internal injuries. Air medevac is the only reasonable alternative. It's faster, smoother and has highly qualified paramedics aboard.

That story did the Aussie industry a great disservice, by suggesting greed trumps safety. Many will paint every farmer with the same brush.

New rules and regulations increase costs. If for example, a rescue boat and redundant manpower is required on every pearl diving operation, it could have a devastating effect on small farmers.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

The idea of a standby diver, is an interesting topic. We have been around the block on that issue here. On a multi-diver operation, one of the active divers can fill that role.

The idea of a fully dressed diver ready on deck is not practical. Diving gear weighs alot. (I wore upwards of 90 lbs of lead) Swimming divers in wetsuits need 25-35 lbs, not to mention tank, regulator and other gear. It takes a grown adult about 10 minutes to become heat prostrated in a wetsuit on deck, perhaps sooner in the hot sun of the tropics.

Here the rules call for a diver at the ready within five to seven minutes. It's quicker to bring up a diver, give them task, then send them than it is for a standby diver to fully suit, inspect and get oriented. In this case, a working diver acted as the standby. They claim Paspaley never trained or applied a rescue policy, yet completely overlooked that rescue, recovery, buddy breathing, in-water CPR, towing etc. are things taught to new divers before becoming certified.

 

[Caitlin]

I am not reading any of the claims. Unless Paspaley did do something really bad, it is not a scandal, it is just a sad story. Even if they did, they will immediately comply with any changes they can make.

Stagehands have a very dangerous position called rigging. It requires they hook up lights and cables at 60-70 feet above the floor on a cat walk. There is always someone at the bottom to work with the one on top, passing things up and down. There is always a one to one tutoring while learning "the ropes". Then when the rigger finally moves from the floor to the catwalk, he has an experienced rigger up there with him. He gets certified as a rigger, before being allowed to work alone on the catwalk no matter how long he has been in the union (or been the equivalent of a certified scuba diver).

In this case the hiring corporation is not responsible for rigging accidents, the union is. And our union can't afford to break any rules, so the boat would not go out if the riggers did not have enough journeymen to do the job safely. Actually that would never happen because the local union can borrow riggers from another local to get the rules met and the show must go on, so they get them.

Is there a diver's union? I thought there might not be one. If there were, I doubt salaries could be cut 20k without at least a discussion or two about it.

If this tragedy occurred because there were not enough journeymen divers, it was due to the walkout over the salaries and no structure, ie union, that could fill the gap immediately. That is if they weren't on strike over the salary cuts, in wich case the boat would not go out unless the corporation hired union busters to fill the position.

Just trying to bring a different perspective to this.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Is there a diver's union? I thought there might not be one. If there were, I doubt salaries could be cut 20k without at least a discussion or two about it.

If this tragedy occurred because there were not enough journeymen divers, it was due to the walkout over the salaries and no structure, ie union, that could fill the gap immediately. That is if they weren't on strike over the salary cuts, in wich case the boat would not go out unless the corporation hired union busters to fill the position.

Just trying to bring a different perspective to this.

I'm not aware of any divers union. If they were to organize, my guess they would be Teamsters, or perhaps SIU. If that were the case, piece work would go out the window and the divers would collect an hourly wage much lower than what they get now. For that reason alone, I suspect divers aren't interested. The allure of big bucks is enticing to a diver, so it's fair to suggest there's an element of greed among them, not to mention rivalry and competition.

Commercial diving is a one person, one task operation for the mostpart. Divers almost always work alone unless the job calls for additional help. The Paspaley operation calls for divers to basically work alone within their sector. Divers with air hoses working near each other is a huge hazard because the can become entangled. It's always best to start your dive, by going to the end of your hose, then work your way back to the boat. Whether none, one or every diver is a journeyman is irrelevant in this case, because they are required to keep away from each other at the greatest possible distance.

In defense of the divers themselves, I do think because of no accidents for many years, Paspaley may have become complacent in their overall manpower practices. In a broad sense, my heart of hearts tells me, six out of ten divers being green is a marginal practice, perhaps more than I would feel comfortable supervising.

But that's just me.

Although most who post here, know me as Dave, all my friends call me Diver Dave, or just Diver. It was a lighthearted, yet derrogatory nickname for my diligence to safety among the crew. I have thousands of hours of bottom time and have supervised tens of thousands of manpower hours. I can proudly say, in all that time, I've never had a casualty, bailout, or medical emergency with myself or those under my watch.

I've seen my share of incidents in other operations though.

The thing is Caitlin, when a diver is on the bottom, he might as well be on the moon. All in all, it's just not possible to manage how a person breathes, especially when in panic, fatigued or otherwise distressed. No company, supervisor, standby diver, rescue boat or new regulation can change that.

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks for the great perspective.

Stage hands in the big city venues can easily make up to $100k even double that, in a season and the season is pretty much over in 9 months. The journeymen get the first calls and make the most $$. Each gig is separate. finish one, go to the next one. The union is a hiring hall, the corporations contract with the union. Stage hands can get dozens of w-4 forms (an irs doc for contract workers) a year, one from each corporation that used the union. A brotherhood helps train and oversee its own. Dry runs are important too, for getting your equipment right.

It sounds like you are saying, you can get some advice before you go, but you can't get feedback on how you are doing while you learn the ropes?

Are there less deep operations for beginners? How do people learn without making fatal mistakes? I have heard that the Paz co. does these deep ocean currents kind of farming, not the friendly little atols of Tahiti. How do they train scuba divers to do that work? From a chalk board?

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

It sounds like you are saying, you can get some advice before you go, but you can't get feedback on how you are doing while you learn the ropes?

Without getting too technical, there are basically three types of diving. Breath hold, scuba and umbilical. Each of these can be divided into deep or shallow.

The Paspaley divers use a shallow water umbilical system. Because they drift, there is a need to reduce the drag on the hose. It's just a non-kink star hose and thats all. When I was a geoduck diver, we used a star hose, with a tension buffering rope attached. We would also drag around a 1.5 inch fire hose, operating at 80-100 PSI, to dig the clams. The divers that clean dead fish and patch nets for the fish farms use a star hose, tension line and electrical cable. The cable provides communication with the surface, as well as powering lighting. The more you add, the more encumbering it gets. My point being, it's always a balance between what's necessary and what's burdensome.

Deepsea divers use a star hose, tension line, power cable and hot water hose. Can you imagine how cumbersome that must be, especially in big tides or currents?

I design my "hookah systems" so the tender can hear the diver breathe as air passes through one-way valves. Likewise, the number of cycles that recharge the system can be monitored with a stop watch. (Not to mention the number of clams coming over the side) This way I can get a sense that the diver is relaxed or working hard. With ten divers in the water, that's a near to impossible task to monitor effectively.

Are there less deep operations for beginners? How do people learn without making fatal mistakes? I have heard that the Paz co. does these deep ocean currents kind of farming, not the friendly little atols of Tahiti. How do they train scuba divers to do that work? From a chalk board?

Much of diving proficency comes from physical fitness and attitude. Agility is important, but not as much as stamina. When a diver gets tangled around something, like the anchor for example, they'll need to impart great strength to get themselves over and around the obstruction.

Normally green divers get the easier tasks, then eventually show enough initiative and experience to take on more difficult tasks. This where the role of the supervisor is important. According to the video, they claim Paspaley is an entry level dive job. Somehow I have my doubts they would take a greenhorn off the street and dump them into the water with the expectation to figure it out on the fly and produce a quota. "Learning the ropes" is the right term. Seamanship is one thing, diving is yet another.

 

[Amanda]

After all, it is perfectly legal to reduce salaries -even up to 20k a year- when profits are at stake. That is the part that burns my tush- if true.....

Not in the UK, it's not. It would amount to constructive dismissal, in the employee's been working for the employer for 12 months or more, and therefore the employee could bring a case in the Employment Tribunal for Unfair Dismissal.

Source - dearly beloved is a barrister, who does employment law.

 

[Caitlin]

So, that would be true in Australia too? If so that talk about salary cuts couldn't be correct.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

The divers are probably doing piece work.

That's how the divers do it here. The diver collects a percentage of the catch paid to the boat owner from the processor.

It's a contract agreement, not a salary or hourly payroll.

In Paspaley's case, they are boat owner and processor. They can pay whatever keeps divers coming back.