Help us to improve the website - give your feedback.

RR341 - Breathing performance of 'Octopus' demand diving regulator systems

Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) often use an 'Octopus' system as an alternative air supply. QinetiQ at Alverstoke were contracted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (Contract D5008) to conduct a review and breathing performance test of 'Octopus' systems. It was shown that SCUBA single demand valve systems capable of meeting the breathing performance requirements of BS EN 250, cannot be relied upon to meet the same requirements when used as part of an 'Octopus' system. Reduced breathing performance of 'Octopus' systems (when compared to single valve systems) was found to be a result of the use of low performance first stage regulators, second stage demand valves of different and poor performance and breathing in phase as opposed to out of phase. Recommendations on the use of 'Octopus' systems are presented. Appropriate test procedures and acceptance criteria should be identified for 'Octopus' systems, and proposed for the next revision of BS EN 250.

Visit the RR341 report (PDF) [12]

The Research Report Series are produced in Adobe Acrobat. The use of the latest version of the software is recommended which is available at the Adobe website via the link on this page.

Assistance in the use of Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our FAQs[13] page.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Science and Evidencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/index.htm
  2. Annual Science Reviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/review.htm
  3. Find a publicationhttps://www.hsl.gov.uk/publications-and-products
  4. Science and Evidence FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/faqs.htm
  5. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/publish.htm
  6. Research Report serieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/rrhtm/index.htm
  7. Coronavirus research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/coronavirus-science-research.htm
  8. Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC)https://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/workplace-health-expert-committee.htm
  9. Insight researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/insight.htm
  10. Shared research programmehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/shared-research-programme.htm
  11. HSE: Innovation in Regulationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/innovation-in-regulation.htm
  12. Visit the RR341 reporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/rrpdf/rr341.pdf
  13. FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/faq.htm
  14. Research Reports (RR)https://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/rrhtm/index.htm
  15. More resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/publish.htm
  16. Find a publicationhttps://www.hsl.gov.uk/resources/hse-science-and-research-publications/
  17. Research report serieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/rrhtm/index.htm
  18. Annual Science Reviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/RESEARCH/review.htm
  19. HSE Buxton Laboratoryhttps://www.hsl.gov.uk/
  20. Contract opportunitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/sellingtohse/contracts.htm
  21. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm
  22. HSE jobshttp://careers.hse.gov.uk/
  23. Chief Scientific Advisershttps://www.gov.uk/government/groups/chief-scientific-advisers
  24. Government Science and Engineeringhttps://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-government-science-engineering

Is this page useful?

Updated 2021-04-19