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HomeMy WebLinkAbout306.024 - Operating Procedure for Kirby-Morgan Dive System TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT MANUAL RESCUE EQUIPMENT 306.024 OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR KIRBY-MORGAN DIVE SYSTEM EFFECTIVE: NOVEMBER 2010 Current Revision Date: 10/02/19 Next Revision Date: 10/02/24 Author’s Name/Rank: Conor Manning, Firefighter Review Level: 1 Administrative Support: Leslie Oulashian, Management Analyst II PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to provide information to familiarize Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department) members with the operational principles and technical data necessary to properly operate the Kirby-Morgan Dive System. APPLICATION The Kirby-Morgan Dive System is a lightweight, portable control box for use in surface-supplied air dive operations. OPERATIONAL POLICY This section intentionally left blank. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE This section intentionally left blank. PROCESS 1. Kirby Morgan Air Control System: a. Controls the diver’s air supply, communications, and monitors the diver’s depth. b. Allows for two divers. c. Clear push-to-talk or round-robin communications. Section 306.024 Page 1 of 27 d. Allows for supply to be either low-pressure compressor or high- pressure cylinders. e. Pneumo system with dual reading gauges is provided for each diver to gauge diver depth. f. Shut-off/bleed system which uses two high-pressure feed lines, that allows the isolation of each diver’s air supply. (See Figure 1.) Figure 1 2. KMB 18 and 28 Mask: a. SuperFlow adjustable demand regulators provide low inhalation resistance and high gas flow, letting the diver breathe easier and work harder with less exertion. b. Hood/face seal provides the diver a comfortable thermal barrier around the head, as well as pockets for earphones. (See Figure 2.) Section 306.024 Page 2 of 27 Figure 2 3. Setup: a. Open the case carefully. Unpack the system and examine it for any damage. b. Place the dive control system (KMACS) on firm surface. c. Tie back the lid of the KMACS 5. d. Connect the air supply. e. Loosen the knurled knobs, which connect the yokes to their storage posts in the KMACS 5 and remove the yokes from the blocks. (See Figure 3.) Figure 3 Section 306.024 Page 3 of 27 f. Attach each yoke to a high-pressure cylinder as you would connect a scuba regulator to a tank. (See Figure 4.) Figure 4 g. The knobs on the yoke should be screwed down, finger tight. h. Be sure the bleed valve on each yoke is in the closed position. Note: Do not turn the cylinders on at this time. i. Check the function of the selector handle (red) to ensure correct operation. (See Figure 5.) Figure 5 Note: When using high-pressure air, the selector handle must be turned up until it stops for BLUE supply or down until it stops for ORANGE supply. Never allow the selector handle to stay in the marked “H.P. OFF ZONE.” Both high- Section 306.024 Page 4 of 27 pressure air supplies are off in the yellow striped “H.P. OFF Zone.” (See Figure 6.) Figure 6 j. With the communicator switched on, turn the speaker switch to “on” (red) and adjust the volume to a comfortable level for both the diver and KMACS 5 operator. (See Figure 7.) Figure 7 k. Plug the earphone connectors on the diver’s umbilical into the earphone jacks on the communicator. (See Figure 8.) Section 306.024 Page 5 of 27 Figure 8 l. Plug the microphone connectors on the umbilical into the microphone jacks on the communicator. Note: This will create a four-wire/round-robin system and the communicator functions like a telephone conference call, (i.e., everyone on the line can hear and speak to everyone else). m. Test the system and adjust all volume controls. n. Test the pneumo: i. Select either high-pressure supply mode or low- pressure supply mode. ii. Pinch the open end (diver’s end) of the red diver pneumo hose. (See Figure 9.) Figure 9 Pinch Hose Section 306.024 Page 6 of 27 iii. Slowly open the red pneumo valve momentarily, one- quarter turn, and observe the needle’s response on the red diver depth gauge. iv. Close the valve after observing correct operation and release the end of the pneumo hose. The gauge needle should return to zero. v. Repeat the above procedure for the white diver. o. Connect the back-up air supply: i. Close the emergency valve knob (red). (See Figure 10.) Figure 10 ii. Attach and pressure up the emergency hose. iii. Shut off the defogger control knob (red) and screw the regulator adjustment knob (yellow) all the way in. (See Figure 11.) Figure 11 Section 306.024 Page 7 of 27 iv. With emergency hose pressurized, turn on the emergency valve. If any gas escapes out the end of the umbilical adapter, the one-way valve is faulty and must be rebuilt or replaced. (See Figure 12.) Figure 12 p. Don diver harness (separate from the weight belt) with bail-out system. (See Figure 13.) Figure 13 Note: Diving harness must have a provision for attaching the emergency gas supply and a place to attach the diver’s umbilical. (See Figure 14.) Section 306.024 Page 8 of 27 Figure 14 Note: Always be sure to check the pressure in your bail-out bottle before diving. (See Figure 15.) Figure 15 q. Connect the diver’s hose to the KMACS 5. (See Figure 16.) The diver’s umbilical should be color coded with plastic tape to identify each individual hose. Note: A standby diver should always be equipped and ready to go to the diver’s aid whenever a surface-supplied diver is working in the water. The diver can be either a scuba diver or another supplied diver since the KMACS 5 provides enough air for two hose-supplied divers. Section 306.024 Page 9 of 27 Figure 16 r. Remove the protective caps from the outlets of the manifold on the console. s. Connect the diver’s umbilical hose fittings (air supply hose and pneumo) to the KMACS 5. Do not over tighten. (See Figure 17.) Figure 17 t. Remove the hoses themselves; and while firmly holding the end of the hose, blow out the lines before connecting the hoses to the mask. u. Hold securely while pointing in a safe direction. Next, slowly bring up gas pressure to approximately 25-40 psi, flow for 15 seconds using KMACS 5 air regulator pressure knob (red). (See Figure 18.) Section 306.024 Page 10 of 27 v. Once the hose is blown out, immediately connect the fitting on the hose to the fitting on the mask or recap. w. Connect primary airline to the mask. i. When connecting the hose to the mask, be sure to use a wrench to hold the adapter or the inlet fitting, and a second wrench to turn the swivel fitting on the hose. (See Figure 19.) ii. The connection between the hose and the mask must be “snug.” Do not over tighten. iii. A second wrench must be used when the mask is disconnected as well. Figure 19 x. Connect communication line to helmet. y. Connect waterproof communications connectors, using extra care in handling pieces. Figure 18 Section 306.024 Page 11 of 27 z. Align the large pin on the male connector with the yellow mark on the female connector. aa. Press the two connectors together until you hear a distinct “pop.” (See Figure 20.) Figure 20 i. Do not twist the connectors. bb. Tape the two connectors with a piece of electrical tape to prevent them from pulling apart. (See Figure 21.) Figure 21 i. To separate the connectors, remove the tape, grasp the connectors at the thickest part, place your thumbs against each other, and pull apart until the connectors are disconnected. (See Figure 22.) ii. Do not twist the connectors. iii. Do not separate the connectors by pulling on the thin part of the wires. Section 306.024 Page 12 of 27 Figure 22 cc. Open the breathing gas supply to the mask. dd. Close free-flow valve and then make sure regulator adjustment knob is all the way in. (See Figure 23.) Figure 23 ee. Bring up the gas supply pressure to between 135-150 psi, then slowly back out on the mask demand regulator adjustment knob counter clockwise until a slight free-flow develops. (See Figure 24.) Section 306.024 Page 13 of 27 Figure 24 ff. Once a free-flow develops, turn the adjustment knob clockwise until the free-flow just stops. (See Figure 25.) Note: To properly check the breathing system, you must press the face seal against your face. The best way to do this is to completely don the mask. Figure 25 gg. Close the zipper until only the last six inches are open. hh. Fasten every “leg” of the spider, except the one on the bottom left. (Figure 26.) Section 306.024 Page 14 of 27 Figure 26 ii. Pick up the mask with both hands and fold the spider over the front of the mask. jj. Pull the hood onto your head and close the zipper. Then fasten the remaining leg of the spider (red), supporting the mask with your right hand. (See Figure 27.) Figure 27 kk. For most divers, the mask is most comfortable when the spider is adjusted so the top three legs of the spider are tighter than the bottom two. ll. Also, most find it comfortable to have the top three legs of the spider three holes back from the edge and two holes back from the edge of the bottom two legs of the spider. (See Figure 28.) Section 306.024 Page 15 of 27 Figure 28 mm. To keep the bib of your hood from floating up, tuck the bib of the hood under the harness. (Figure 29.) Figure 29 nn. Test the defogger system by turning the defogger control knob (red) on and off. (See Figure 30.) oo. The regulator should be adjusted by turning the adjustment knob (green) out until a slight steady flow starts, then back in until the flow just stops. (See Figure 30.) Section 306.024 Page 16 of 27 Figure 30 pp. Check the demand regulator system for proper function by breathing in and out. Note: Inhalation and exhalation effort should be nearly unnoticeable. qq. Test air purge by pressing in on the purge button (red) in the regulator cover. This should produce a strong burst of breathing gas. (See Figure 31.) Figure 31 rr. Check the communications system by talking to an assistant on the amplifier with the mask on. (See Figure 32.) Section 306.024 Page 17 of 27 Figure 32 Note: Never dive without attaching the umbilical to some type of harness or clip on the diver’s body. Never allow the umbilical to pull on the mask directly, or the diver could suffer a neck injury. (See Figure 33.) Figure 33 ss. Enter water and descend. i. The tender must ensure there is a sufficient length of umbilical and no chance of the umbilical hanging up when the diver enters the water. ii. The defogger valve should be turned on to overpressure the mask to prevent the possibility of water pressure inverting the mask exhaust valve when hitting the water. (See Figure 34.) Section 306.024 Page 18 of 27 Figure 34 iii. The diver must report to the surface immediately after the entry. It is good policy to descend 10 to 20 feet and then pause and check the regulator adjustment for the least breathing resistance. tt. During the descent, the communications must be checked again and the diver supply pressure should be adjusted as necessary to maintain the required over-bottom pressure. uu. To operate the pneumo, turn the knob for the appropriate diver counter-clockwise until the indicator needle on the depth gauge starts moving. When the depth gauge for the individual diver indicates a depth that is known to be deeper than the diver, the knob is turned clockwise until it is off. The indicator needle on the depth gauge will decrease as the air bubbles leave the open end of the pneumo hose at the diver. When the needle stops, that is the diver’s actual depth. (See Figure 35.) Figure 35 Section 306.024 Page 19 of 27 vv. As the diver descends, the KMACS 5 operator should adjust the regulator to provide 150 psi over the pressure at the diver’s depth at all times. This provides the best breathing performance from the diver’s demand regulator. ww. Once the diver reaches the bottom (or maximum planned depth), the diver should inform the KMACS 5 operator and ensure he/she gets an accurate depth reading. Note: At very low work rates, such as when the diver is resting or during in-water decompression, the diver’s respiratory rate may be quite slow. When this occurs, diver’s exhalations may not be sufficient to move enough breathing gas through mask exhaust to adequately wash out carbon dioxide (CO2.) To ensure carbon dioxide does not accumulate in the mask, divers who are at rest under water should screw the regulator adjustment knob “out,” away from the regulator, until a slight steady flow occurs and the regulator can be heard to hiss. This will eliminate any excess carbon dioxide in the mask. (Figure 36.) Figure 36 4. Emergency Procedures: a. Flooding: i. The diver can clear the mask quickly by tilting the mask down and activating the defogger control knob, or by pressing in on the manual purge button in the center of the regulator cover. Section 306.024 Page 20 of 27 Note: The water dump valve is located under the regulator. By placing this valve in the lowest position on the mask, water will exit more easily. ii. After clearing, check for additional flooding. If the mask continues to take on water, return to the diving station, swimming with the water dump valve positioned at the lowest part of the mask (that is with the diver’s face forward and slightly tilted down.) Keep the free-flow knob on. This increases the air/gas pressure slightly inside the mask and keeps the water out. Any incoming water is automatically purged. b. Inhalation Resistance: i. Adjust the demand regulator knob by rotating counter- clockwise for easier breathing. ii. If breathing does not get noticeably better, press the purge button in the regulator cover. iii. If a surge of gas does not flow with this action, open the emergency valve. iv. If flow is noticeably better, immediately notify topside that you are on emergency gas. v. Ensure your umbilical is clear and return to the stage or descent line. vi. The console operator should check to ensure the supply pressure to the diver is correct. c. Gas Flow Stops: i. A stoppage of flow in the demand regulator usually indicates the main gas supply has stopped. ii. The diver should first open the emergency valve by turning the knob. iii. If there is still no flow from the demand regulator, the defogger valve should be opened. Note: If the defogger valve is left open, the bailout bottle will drain very quickly, particularly if the diver is deep. Section 306.024 Page 21 of 27 iv. Immediately notify topside, check to ensure the umbilical is clear, and return to the diving station using the emergency breathing supply. Note: Avoid making a rapid ascent if at all possible. Never ditch the mask underwater, unless conditions absolutely require it. d. Demand Regulator Free Flow: i. If the demand regulator free-flows, adjust the knob clockwise until it stops. ii. If the free-flow cannot be stopped, the dive should be aborted. 5. Post Dive Procedures: a. Removing the Mask: i. Remove the mask only after the diver is well clear of water. ii. Pull the nose block device knob away from your face before starting to remove the mask. Note: In case of emergency, the diver can shed the Band Mask by grasping the bottom of the mask with both hands and pushing out and up. The mask will be able to be removed even with the zipper closed and the spider in place. iii. Turn the emergency gas supply off at the tank. iv. Disconnect the emergency gas supply by using the quick disconnect. v. Unfasten the umbilical from the harness, take the Band Mask from the diver, and set the mask aside. vi. Remove the diver’s harness and bailout bottle. vii. Remove the earphone covers and dry all parts before storage. Section 306.024 Page 22 of 27 b. Storing Mask: i. Place dry hood on mask before storage. ii. The regulator adjustment knob should be unscrewed all the way out (counter clockwise) until the next dive. iii. Cap umbilical and emergency gas supply fittings. iv. Store in the carrying bag to protect it. Section 306.024 Page 23 of 27 Section 306.024 Page 24 of 27 Section 306.024 Page 25 of 27 PRE-DIVE CHECKLIST Section 306.024 Page 26 of 27 INFORMATION For more information, visit the following link: https://www.kirbymorgan.com/products/air-control-systems/kmacs-5-no- communications DEFINITIONS This section intentionally left blank. CROSS-REFERENCES No cross-references recognized. Section 306.024 Page 27 of 27