Nautical Term: DDC
Definition of DDC
The Deck Decompression Chamber, also known as DDC, is a crucial safety feature on board naval vessels and offshore installations. The DDC is essentially a pressurized chamber that allows individuals exposed to high pressure during diving or other underwater activities to gradually acclimatize to normal atmospheric pressure. This process, known as decompression, significantly reduces the risk of decompression sickness, also known as ‘the bends’, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the formation of gas bubbles in the bloodstream as a result of too rapid decompression. In summary, the DDC plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of those engaged in underwater activities.
Example: During a routine maintenance dive on an offshore oil platform, one of the dive team members experiences decompression sickness after they ascend too quickly from the underwater environment to the surface. The dive team immediately calls for the Deck Decompression Chamber to be brought on deck. The affected diver is carefully and slowly transported to the DDC where they are placed inside the chamber and provided with 100% oxygen to breathe through a mask. The pressure inside the DDC is gradually increased to counter
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