Ocean Technology Systems Recalls Guardian Full-Face Diving Masks Due to Drowning Hazard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 22, 2011 Release #11-180

Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 270-1984 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983

Ocean Technology Systems Recalls Guardian Full-Face Diving Masks Due to Drowning Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Guardian full-face diving masks
Units: About 1,700 in the U.S. and 80 in Canada
Manufacturer: Undersea Systems International Inc. dba Ocean Technology Systems, of Santa Ana, Calif.
Hazard: The purge assembly on the diving mask can disengage from the regulator, resulting in loss of air to the diver. This poses a drowning hazard to the consumer.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of a disengaged assembly. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves Guardian full-face diving masks with serial numbers 9051284 through 100070954. The serial number is printed on the main regulator body. The diving masks were sold in black with blue accent colors. The Ocean Technology Systems' logo is affixed to the front of the mask.
Sold by: Diving equipment retailers and direct sales nationwide from September 2010 through November 2010 for about $800.
Manufactured in: Taiwan
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the diving masks and contact Ocean Technology Systems for instructions on conducting a test of the regulator and returning the masks for a free repair.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Ocean Technology Systems toll-free at (877) 270-1984 anytime, or visit the firm's website at www.otscomm.com. Consumers can also email the firm at recall@otscomm.com
Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1299

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting www.saferproducts.gov

Charles (Wendy) Taylor retiring from NOAA Fisheries

Charles "Wendy" Taylor

After 30+ years as a NOAA Diver and well over 1200 logged dives, Charles (Wendy) Taylor has plans to retire from NOAA in September 2011. Wendy is the Engineering Team leader at the Harvesting Systems Unit, in Pascagoula, MS and supervises the Fisheries Methods and Equipment Specialists (FMES) at the Unit. http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/labs/mississippi/harvesting_systems.htm

Wendy has worked for the Harvesting Systems Unit of the Pascagoula, MS laboratory for 33 years. In December, 1979 Wendy attended the NOAA working diver class in Miami, FL which, at that time, was run by Dick Rutkowski and Morgan Wells.  A few years after dive school, Wendy served as surface support for the Aquarius Habitat in St.Croix, USVI.  Wendy along with Ian Workman and John Watson improved techniques for diving on and videotaping shrimp and fish trawls. 

Wendy in the net shop

Wendy and Ian were also the first to dive on and videotape high opening mid-water fish trawls from the NOAA ship Chapman. In the following years, Harvesting Systems spent a great deal of time developing and improving the turtle excluder device (TED) which replaced the turtle barrier. The unit developed a TED (the NMFS TED) which also incorporated a bycatch excluder device (BRD)within it. Fish exclusion from shrimp trawls soon became an important ecological issue. With vast knowledge of how shrimp trawls functioned he became an integral part of designing and testing BRDs.  The records show that Wendy has logged 1207 dives although he made several hundred dives prior to the implementation of the NDC diver data base. Wendy has now hung up his fins and is looking forward to retirement and returning to Georgia with wife Mary Ann to continue his hobby of fishing.

Gulf Divers Experiencing Health Problems, Blood Contaminated With Petroleum Hydrocarbons

NDC was recently forwarded an article published on the Lower Mississippi RiverKeepers Blog regarding health problems experienced by scientific divers with a small non-profit group after diving in the Gulf Region in the summer and early fall of 2010 and thought that it might be of interest to some of our divers.

http://lmrk.org/issues/bp-s-deep-water-drilling-disaster/gulf-divers-experiencing-health-problems-blood-contaminated-with-petroleum-hydrocarbons.html

From the DMO - Chantix and Diving

Hello Divers!  I just finished listening to the March Diving Medicine
Fellowship Conference hosted by Duke Dive Medicine.  The Docs from LSU
Hyperbaric Medicine presented a very interesting case regarding the use of
Chantix and diving.  Chantix is a medication used to assist in smoking
cessation.  There is much concern regarding the potential for psychological
side effects and diving.  At this point, we do not prohibit the use of
Chantix while diving, however several commercial diving organizations have.
The US Navy's current policy does not prohibit the use of Chantix, although
the new draft of MANMED Ch. 15-102 (Manual of Navy Medicine) does limit the
member to only administrative duties while using the drug.  I did check with
the Navy DMOs in Panama City and they are currently not using Chantix.  If
you are currently using Chantix or plan to start, or have any other
questions regarding your medical status and diving, give me a call and we
can talk about it.  As always - Dive Safe!

LCDR Joel Dulaigh, NP, USPHS
NOAA Diving Medical Officer
NOAA Diving Program
7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg 8
Seattle, WA  98115
Office: 206-526-6474
Fax: 206-529-2759
www.ndc.noaa.gov

New Medical Fax Number

I have a new fax number that goes directly to the DMO computer.  The
general fax number (206-526-6506) is still good and should be used for
non-medical business.  Please use the medical fax number ONLY if you are
faxing medical records.  You can also still save them as a pdf and send
electronically.  When you fax to this number, the computer automatically
turns it into a pdf, but the quality is dependent on the quality of the
sending fax machine.  The new medical fax line is 206-529-2759.

LCDR Joel Dulaigh, NP, USPHS
NOAA Diving Medical Officer
Office: 206-526-6474
Fax: 206-529-2759