Hyperbaric Chamber delivered to hospital in Guernsey

The Challenge

The States of Guernsey’s Committee for Health & Social Care was looking to purchase a containerised hyperbaric chamber to support commercial diving operations which were to take place in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The chamber would be used by inshore/inland commercial divers, scallop, leisure and other divers. The system had to be compliant with the requirements of the UK’s Health and Safety Executives (HSE) Commercial Diving Projects, Inland / Inshore Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L104 and International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) guidance D023 Rev.1 and within EN 14931 (Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy).

The States of Guernsey’s Committee for Health & Social Care (HSC) provides integrated health and social care to the people of Guernsey and Alderney, being the largest single employer in the islands with approximately 2,000 staff across the whole organisation. The chamber would be located at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, the only hospital on the island.

The Solution

SMP built a decompression facility within the confines of a single 40ft ISO container. The container is divided into three specific sections, the first section being the reception and waiting area that has direct access to the entry lock of the chamber. This section has a CCTV camera and intercom system installed to monitor it, the system being connected into a TV monitor and communication unit close by.

The second section contains the twin lock decompression chamber as well as the chamber life support control panel, air conditioning, workbench, sink and storage. The third area contains the critical life support equipment. This consists of the high pressure compressor with breathing air filtration, HP air banks, LP compressor, receiver, filtration, main electrical distribution, external chamber air conditioning system, fire suppression system, HP charger panel and the provision for connecting HE/O2 or nitrox cylinder. The room also has electrical strip lighting and power points for general hand tools, spares and the workbench.

A fourth area has been added onto the side of the container which houses 2 independent banks. These banks consist of 2 cylinders in each, adding a capacity of 12,960 ltrs of oxygen storage per bank. The banks have been independently manifolded to high pressure to low pressure regulators, fitted with pressure transducers for a digital signal of high-pressure contents at the chamber control panel.

The system has been built with design approval and witness testing by Lloyds Register of Shipping. Associated documentation is compliant with IMCA D018 and D023 and CE Certified to the relevant Codes and Regulations. The system has also been built in accordance with SMP’s Quality System ISO 9001 and more importantly EN ISO 13485 which is specifically aimed at the Medical Devices Quality Management Standards.