National Diving Officer Update

New Medical Form and Guidance for Diving after Covid-19

The revised medical form has made some small changes to three of the questions, these are:

Q5 Collapsed lung, pneumothorax or other lung injury?

Now reads:

Collapsed lung, pneumothorax or any other lung injury or problem (except COVID-19)?

Note – This is largely unchanged in that it merges questions 5 and 6 but now excludes COVID-19.

Q6 Any other problem affecting the lungs, suspected or known COVID-19 or tested positive for COVID-19?Now reads:

A requirement for Medical Referee assessment in the guidance on return to diving after COVID-19 at ukdmc.org?

Note – This question now only covers COVID-19 and must be answered in conjunction with guidance on return to diving after COVID-19, we will look at that shortly.

Q13 Diabetes?

Now reads:

Diabetes? All diabetics require a medical & need to complete Diabetes forms A & B annually (see ukdmc.org)

Note – This just clarifies the current requirement so does not impact on the membership.

The new form can be found on the UKDMC website – https://www.ukdmc.org/downloads/

Guidance on Return to Recreational Diving After COVID-19

This consists of two tables and is included as an appendix to the revised medical form. This is in the format of two tables.

Table 1 Covid-19 Status

This table covers the period following Covid-19 and whether or not you need to be assessed by a medical referee. For those who have had no or mild symptoms and meet the requirements can return to diving without the need to see a medical referee which will be welcome news for many of our divers.

Table 2 Factors

This table is basically assessing three health factors which I will cover here:

1. General health, if you answer yes to any of the questions on the form you will, in effect, need to seek the advice of a medical referee. This will apply whether you are answering the question for the first time or it is a condition you have previously received clearance from a medical referee on an “indefinite” basis.
2. This looks at the risk factors around age and, for the older divers, whether or not they are fully vaccinated.
3. The final factor is the divers level of fitness and provides a guide for fitness levels of “Good” and “Satisfactory”.

Physical Fitness

The two levels of fitness in the table are defined as:

• Satisfactory – Someone who can run 1.5 miles / 2.4 km in 20 minutes 30 seconds
• Good – Someone who can run 1.5 miles / 2.4 km in 12 minutes 30 seconds

If, like me, you do not take part in timed running events I would like to put some perspective on these times:

• 5 miles in 20 minutes equates to 4.5 miles per hour and the good level is just over 7 miles per hour
• Police fitness levels are that the 1.5 miles must be completed within 14 minutes.
• The army entry fitness level for is between 12 minutes 45 seconds and 14 minutes 30 seconds, recruits are expected to improve on these and some regiments require sub 10 minute times.

When looked at these requirements the satisfactory level seems quite reasonable.

Completion of Self Certification Medical Form

The requirements for completing the medical form are covered in Club Guidance Manual Section 3.1, the main points are repeated here:

1. All trainees must complete a medical self certification form before training commences.
2. All diving members must complete the medical self certification form annually, it is recommend that members are asked to complete a new form at the same time as they renew their SAA membership.
3. A parent or guardian must sign the form if the member is under 18.
4. The form is valid for a maximum of 12 months, if an answer to any question changes in that period the declaration immediately becomes invalid.

 

Take care and stay safe.

 

Steve Orange (ndo@saa.org.uk)

National Diving Officer