(1)‘Bends’ are the most common form of compressed air illness. These are painful and sometimes acute manifestations of the illness that affect 1 or more limbs. They are not dangerous unless both arms or legs are effected, that may indicate a bubble in the spinal cord. Bends are most likely to occur in muscles that have been the hardest worked. The pain begins gradually, but may rapidly assume a very painful climax which, unless relieved by recompression, may be sufficiently severe to make the person cry out. Any symptom of a ‘bend’ should be treated by recompression at the earliest possible moment. The longer recompression is delayed the more difficult will be the cure.
(2)Severe pains in the chest or abdomen. The pain in the chest may be accompanied by short, quick, gasping breathing, and the pain in the abdomen may lead to vomiting.
(3)Paralysis of the legs and arms. This is a very serious symptom, and unless relieved may lead to permanent loss of use of the limbs.
(4)Other forms are faintness or unconsciousness, jerky movements of the eye or loss of sight, deafness, swelling of the body, loss of speech. These forms are less common.
6 Any attack of ‘bends’, giddiness, vomiting or difficulty in breathing, disease of the heart, lungs, kidneys, genital organs, a chill, or any other disease that may come on a compressed air worker during or subsequent to work may have the most serious consequences to the worker’s health.
7 Therefore, immediately on noticing the indisposition, the worker must report it to the medical officer or to a medical orderly, or failing either, to the contractor or a responsible representative of the contractor.
Treatment of compressed air illness
8 The cure for compressed air illness is immediate and adequate recompression, which causes diminution in the size and final disappearance of the bubble of gas that produced the symptom.
Note 1 The Legislation Act contains definitions and other provisions relevant to this regulation.
Note 2 For example, the Legislation Act, dict, pt 1, defines the following terms:
Note 3 Terms used in this regulation have the same meaning that they have in the Scaffolding and Lifts Act 1912 (see Legislation Act, s 148). For example, the following terms are defined in the Scaffolding and Lifts Act 1912, dict:
analogous means radically analogous in relation to prime characteristics.
approved means approved in writing by the chief inspector.
axial stress means one produced by a force or load acting parallel to and concentrically with the longitudinal neutral axis of the member concerned, and is the initial stress so produced, before any redistribution that may accompany resultant elastic deformation of the member.
bearing pressure, in relation to a pin or shaft in a plain bearing, means bearing pressure calculated as for a plane rectangular area of length equal to the length of the bearing, and of width equal to the diameter of the bearing.
birdcage scaffolding—see section 85.
cantilever scaffolding—see section 85.
conveyor, for part 4 (Lifts)—see section 16.
dead loads means all loads of which the principal effects remain constant during operation or manipulation of the crane, lift, hoist, scaffolding, plant or gear concerned.
designed means effectively and correctly designed for its purpose in complete accordance with this regulation or, if provision is not included in this regulation, effectively and correctly designed for its purpose in an approved way.
drawings means permanent, fully detailed and fully dimensioned and annotated engineering drawings, clear, distinct, and to a commonly used scale, which are sufficiently complete for engineering workshop use to enable faithful manufacture of all items depicted.
dynamically irreversible means incapable of being set or kept in motion by energy applied at or to the power output member or part of any mechanism, linkage or device.
dynamically reversible means capable of being set or kept in motion by energy applied at or to the power output member or part of any mechanism, linkage or device.
explosive-powered tool, for part 9A (Explosive-powered tools—safety measures)—see section 118A.
fixed end means for purposes of stress determination, a fixed end or fixed connection so designed that it effectively maintains and preserves the tangent to the elastic curve of the end of the member concerned in its original direction and position, irrespective of applied loading.
forged steel means hot forged from steel conforming to Australian Standard Specification No E17—(1944 T.) General Locomotive Forgings of K quality, and Australian Standard Specification No B63—1938 Carbon Steel Forgings (Primarily for Cranes and Hoists).
free end means for purposes of stress determination, a free end not specifically secured in a way that will effectively prevent its translation.
heavy duty scaffolding—see section 85.
high tensile structural steel means steel conforming to British Standard Specification No 548—1934, High Tensile Structural Steel for Bridges etc and General Building Construction, or British Standard Specification No 968—1941, High Tensile (Fusion Welding Quality) Steel for Bridges, etc, and General Building Construction promulgated by Standards Australia.
hinged end means for purposes of stress determination, a hinged end or hinged connection not specifically and effectively designed to transmit major restraining or other moments.
in commission means in commission but not necessarily active.
independent pole scaffolding—see section 85.
light duty scaffolding—see section 85.
light swinging stage—see section 85.
(a)a maximum such that if it were increased; or
(b)a minimum such that if it were decreased;
the increase or decrease would occasion contravention of the Act or this regulation, or in any way prejudice the safe working of the crane, lift, hoist, scaffolding or plant concerned.
live loads means all loads of which the principal effects vary during operation or manipulation of the crane, lift, hoist, scaffolding, plant or gear concerned, and include the working load and all loads due to inertia, momentum, braking and wind.
(a)except in relation to bolts or rivets—mild steel conforming to Australian Standard Specification No A.1—1940 Rolled Steel Sections for Structural Purposes; and
(b)in relation to bolts or rivets—a mild steel approved by the chief inspector as being suitable for its purpose.
projectile, for part 9A (Explosive-powered tools—safety measures)—see section 118A.
qualified operator, for part 9A (Explosive-powered tools—safety measures)—see section 118A.
roller means a wheel or cylinder that is either without an axle, or in which an axle or equivalent device is employed principally for purposes of alignment and location as distinct from the transmission of loads or forces.
S.A.A. Wiring Rules means Australian Standard Rules for the electrical equipment of buildings, structures and premises, published by the Standards Australia, known as the S.A.A. Wiring Rules. (First issued June, 1931, revised December, 1934, revised January, 1940. Reprinted including corrigenda of February, 1940, February, 1943, and March, 1944. Amendment 3, 1945. All redated 1945. Amendment 4, January, 1946, redated 1946.).
safety gear, for part 4 (Lifts)—see section 16.
safe working load (or working load) means the greatest burden that may be imposed without contravening any provision of this regulation in or on the lifting or lowering instrument with which any crane, lift or hoist is provided for lifting or lowering, or on any platform of any scaffold, but does not include wind loads or any increase consequential to section 125 or the weight of the lifting hook, yoke, kibble, box, cage, vessel or other medium by which the load is raised or lowered, or the weight of the platform or framework of any scaffold.
second-hand means evidencing previous usage that might reasonably be expected or anticipated to have resulted in wear or abrasion, distortion, fatigue, misalignment, cold working, strain hardening, overheating, corrosion, or other damage or deterioration, affecting the item concerned in whole or in part, and, in relation to any material, second-hand means not plainly self evidently new.
section means actual section before any deformation that may follow or accompany application of stress and, unless otherwise stated, all sections must lie in planes normal to the longitudinal axes of the members concerned.
service lift, for part 4 (Lifts)—see section 16.
single pole scaffolding—see section 85.
static counterbalance weights includes all counterbalance weights that do not move relatively to the crane, hoist, lift, scaffolding, plant or gear concerned or to its supporting structure.
strength means computed strength except in relation to the strengths of materials or ropes, and unless the chief inspector specifically approves otherwise.
stress means stress measured in tons per square inch, after including all increases prescribed by this regulation.
suspended scaffolding—see section 85.
toe board—see section 85.
tool, for part 9A (Explosive-powered tools—safety measures)—see section 118A.
transverse stress means the longitudinal tensile or compressive fibre stress resulting at the skin of a member from forces that cause flexure, but not include the axial stress.
under power means energised by any agency other than manual or gravitational.
use, an explosive-powered tool, for part 9A (Explosive-powered tools—safety measures)—see section 118A (3).
work, for part 9A (Explosive-powered tools—safety measures)—see section 118A.
working load—see safe working load.
