Practical Diving First Aid (PDFA) – Diving Module
This module builds on core first aid knowledge by focusing specifically on diving-related emergencies and incidents. It provides the essential understanding required to manage medical, environmental, and operational emergencies that may occur during diving activities.
You will explore how diving accidents happen, the factors that increase risk, and the importance of effective planning, communication, and teamwork when responding to an incident. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the dive team and the use of a structured Medical Emergency Response Plan (MERP) to ensure a coordinated and effective response.
Key areas covered include:
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The roles and responsibilities of the dive team during normal operations and emergency situations
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Common causes of diving accidents and practical strategies to reduce and prevent risk
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Recognition and management of decompression illness
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Barotrauma, including middle ear and sinus barotrauma, and methods of prevention
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Gas-related emergencies, including hypercapnia, anoxia, hypoxia, nitrogen narcosis, and carbon monoxide exposure
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Environmental emergencies such as sea sickness, marine life injuries, drowning, hypothermia, hyperthermia, and dehydration
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Basic trauma management, including bleeding, fractures, shock, and soft tissue injuries
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Applied diving physics as it relates to safety and emergency scenarios
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An introduction to recompression procedures used in the treatment of decompression illness
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The importance of accurate documentation and reporting following diving incidents
By the end of this module, you will understand how diving-related emergencies occur, how to respond effectively as part of a dive team, and how correct procedures, communication, and planning help reduce risk and protect diver safety.
Course Features
- Lectures 35
- Quizzes 3
- Duration Lifetime access
- Skill level All levels
- Language English
- Students 231
- Certificate Yes
- Assessments Self
- 13 Sections
- 35 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Introduction to PDFA - Diving Module1
- The Operational Dive Team
Objective: Understand how the operational dive team functions during normal operations and emergencies.
Knowledge: Explain roles and responsibilities, MERP requirements, response times, and documentation procedures.
Skills: Apply correct communication, handover and reporting steps during emergency scenarios.
4 - Diving Accidents
Objective: Identify common causes of diving accidents and apply prevention strategies.
Knowledge: Explain how accidents occur and how safe procedures reduce risk.
Skills: Apply accident prevention thinking to hazard identification and operational decision-making.
2 - Decompression Illness
Objective: Recognise decompression illness risks and understand response priorities.
Knowledge: Explain types of decompression illness and early warning signs.
Skills: Apply correct escalation actions and reporting procedures when DCI is suspected.
2 - Barotrauma
Objective: Identify barotrauma risks affecting divers and equipment and apply prevention strategies.
Knowledge: Explain causes, symptoms, and prevention of ear, sinus, dental, lung, and equipment barotrauma.
Skills: Apply safe equalisation and dive decisions to prevent barotrauma and respond appropriately to injury.
8 - Gas Toxicity
Objective: Identify gas toxicity risks and recognise symptoms relevant to diving operations.
Knowledge: Explain hypercapnia, anoxia/hypoxia, nitrogen narcosis, and carbon monoxide exposure.
Skills: Apply correct immediate response actions and escalation procedures for gas toxicity scenarios.
5 - Environmental EmergenciesDivers face risks from environmental conditions, including currents and sea state, which can lead to being thrown against structures, swept away, or entangled in lines.
Objective: Understand environmental emergency risks and apply safe first response priorities.
Knowledge: Explain risks such as drowning, marine injuries, thermal problems, dehydration, and sea sickness.
Skills: Apply correct emergency response actions and casualty care priorities for environmental incidents.
6 - Trauma Management
Objective: Apply trauma management priorities to common diving injuries.
Knowledge: Explain management priorities for fractures, bleeding control, and shock.
Skills: Demonstrate correct decision-making for trauma response and casualty stabilisation.
3 - Applied Physics
Objective: Apply diving physics laws to understanding injury risks and safe decision-making.
Knowledge: Explain Dalton’s, Henry’s, and Boyle’s Laws and their relevance to diving emergencies.
Skills: Apply physics concepts to scenario-based problem-solving and prevention decisions.
3 - Recompression
Objective: Understand the purpose of recompression and why early escalation improves outcomes.
Knowledge: Explain the role of recompression in treating diving illness and injury.
Skills: Apply correct escalation and reporting actions when recompression treatment may be required.
1 - Documentation
Objective: Apply correct documentation and reporting procedures for diving incidents.
Knowledge: Explain why accurate incident reporting is essential for safety and legal compliance.
Skills: Demonstrate correct reporting and documentation steps using workplace standards.
1 - Practice Test
Objective: Demonstrate competence in diving emergency response knowledge through formative assessment.
Knowledge: Explain key injuries, risks, and emergency response procedures relevant to diving operations.
Skills: Apply correct response priorities and decision-making in assessment questions and scenarios.
1 - Final Exam
Objective: Demonstrate competence in PDFA diving content through summative examination.
Knowledge: Explain diving accident risks, emergency response procedures, and injury management principles.
Skills: Apply accurate decision-making and response priorities to scenario-based exam questions.
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