• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2016

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess relative safety level of the decompression tables in Ministry of Employment and Labor Public Notice No. 2014-28 in comparison with overseas decompression tables. Methods: Decompression tables in the Public Notice No. 2014-28 were compared with examples from Japan, the USA, Canada, and France in terms of ascent rate, surface intervals after exceptional exposures, oxygen decompression and allowable partial pressure, depth limits in air diving, no-decompression limits, and decompression time and methods. Results: Public Notice No. 2014-28 does not include air diving depth limits, exceptional exposure limits, mandatory surface intervals after exceptional exposures, oxygen decompression, and surface decompression schedules. Its decompression time was found to be the shortest among the five decompression tables. Conclusions: Public Notice No. 2014-28 has the lowest safety level in comparison with overseas decompression tables. Deck decompression chambers are not applicable due to no regulations on surface interval and oxygen use in the chamber for decompression.