Calling HSE ITS Instructors

[Sophie]

Hi there,
If anyone is keen to do some work (Paid) on the ITS at Fort Bovisand for the Joint Services 3-7th April, can you let me know your interest.
It is a Joint Services IFC-OWIC-TIE and PIE.
You must have an HSE current medical and be on the ITS.
Thanks Sophie
email: southwest.coach@bsac.com

[Nick Kay]

Hi Sophie

Out of interest, what is entailed in getting HSE approval? i.e.
- the process?
- the costs?
- renewal periods?

[Roz]

Hi Nick

HSE Medicals. This costs anything from £80 - £130 depending on where you go, and they need to be renewed annually. Tristan Cope at the Wirral Hyperbaric Unit has done mine in the past and I now go to Andrew Scott-Brown at Lake Road Practice in Portsmouth to get mine done. All Instructors who teach professionally in the UK need to have an in date HSE Medical. Both Tris and Andrew dive, so I would absolutely recommend either of them if you need a switched on diving doctor.

I am taking an educated guess that if you are on the ITS and have an indate HSE Medical, this is what Sophie needs.

Hope this helps.
- Roz

[Sophie]

Hi Roz and Nick,
Yes - you have to take the HSE Medical so that you can be a diver at work. When I run the Joint Services events my instructors need to be HSE because the course students are 'at work' and therefore we come under HSE as well as JSSADC guidelines. So if you have a medical and are on the ITS then I can call on you if you are free to come and help out.
Cheers Sophie

[Nick Kay]

Hi Sophie

Was interested as I'd been asked if I could help out on a couple of occasions by a School.

What does the HSE Medical entail?

[Sophie]

Hi NIck,
Just the usual:
Hearing test (first time you do it)
Chest Xray if previous problems
step test (6 mins) then 3 mins recovery checks
balance
ears
blood pressure
RHR
Senses (eyes following the finger stuff)
Urine sample
lots of questions
lung function test FEV1 and FEV3 (Blow and keep blowing until spirometer needle gets to the end)

It costs about £80-£100 and you get a cert wich you need to carry around with you.

Cheers Sophie

[Francis James]

Hi Sophie

Was interested as I'd been asked if I could help out on a couple of occasions by a School.

What does the HSE Medical entail?
Just one more point to note, the HSE medical now requires that your body mass index is less than 30. At my last medical I was only given a six months cert on condition that I reduce from BMI 34 down to BMI 30. I then had to return for a weight check before getting my second six month cert.
Not saying you are in the same category but this rule has been introduced in the last 18 months so it is best to be aware of it just in case.

[Sophie]

If that's the case then there will be a lot of people failing it this year!
Sophie

[Adrian Kelland]

Just one more point to note, the HSE medical now requires that your body mass index is less than 30. At my last medical I was only given a six months cert on condition that I reduce from BMI 34 down to BMI 30. I then had to return for a weight check before getting my second six month cert.
Not saying you are in the same category but this rule has been introduced in the last 18 months so it is best to be aware of it just in case.
It's not quite a requirement, but it is easy to interpret 'may' as such in the paragraph below quoted from http://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/ma1.pdf page 10

E4. Where the BMI reaches 30 further estimation of fat content should be made using suitable means such as skin calipers or skin impedance. A body fat content in excess of 30% may be considered a reason for rejection until weight has been satisfactorily reduced, particularly if associated with a lack of overall physical fitness.
IIRC most of the England rugby team would have a BMI above 30, yet are probably fitter than many of us.

[ChrisA]

[QUOTE
IIRC most of the England rugby team would have a BMI above 30, yet are probably fitter than many of us.[/QUOTE]

But the fat percentage would be lower, as the higher mass is made up of muscle

[Nick Kay]

Just one more point to note, the HSE medical now requires that your body mass index is less than 30. At my last medical I was only given a six months cert on condition that I reduce from BMI 34 down to BMI 30. I then had to return for a weight check before getting my second six month cert.
Not saying you are in the same category but this rule has been introduced in the last 18 months so it is best to be aware of it just in case.

I thought a BMI of 30+ was a pre-req for doing your NI? :p

Does that mean all that "practise" I've been doing will go to waste? :D

BTW - I exclude anyone who's SAC is < 8lpm :rolleyes:

[Sophie]

I think it will depend on which doctor you go and see. % Fat (speaking as an exercise physiologist) is only valid if it is done by weighing the body in water and then out - since this is very expensive, time consuming and never happens, % fat measurements (done by skinfold measurements) are deemed to be inaccurate and this is why BMI (Weight to Height ratios) is taken. This can cause problems if you are a MESOMORPH (Muscular somatotype) as muscle weight in relation to the height can make someone (Sports people) go into the obese category - which is unfair. So it needs to be put into context as each individual case gets seen.
That's my Friday evening lecture out of the way - have a good weekend all.
Sophie

[Adrian Kelland]

That's my Friday evening lecture out of the way - have a good weekend all.
Sophie
I noticed you didn't stick around for a couple of pints of Guiness :D

[Sophie]

They are working me too hard. Serious when it gets in the way of a Friday night drink!

Sophie

[Tony F]

% fat measurements (done by skinfold measurements) are deemed to be inaccurate and this is why BMI (Weight to Height ratios) is taken.

Okay I'm confuzzled........ as just a straightforward mathematical calculation isn't BMI just as inaccurate?

It takes no account of lean muscle mass does it, me and the entire front row of the England rugby team may have the same BMI but they're certainly fitter (if only very very very slightly but obviously I'm much better looking - ahem). And at least the skin fold measurements of the body fat % credit us porkers for the muscle needed to carry the lard around.

As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong) the HSE medical relies on BMI first as s a simple straight forward guide but once over a BMI of 30 the procedure is to go for a body fat % test?

[Sophie]

It would be wrong of me to say that MBI being a simple test of weight (kg)divided by Ht (M)Sqd is much easier than getting the skinfold calipers out. (Physiologists know how to use them though).
Anyway - I used to test the England Rugby squad at a time when all they wanted to do was go to the bar and have a pint - how times have changed!

Sadly - it is done this way and no matter what we physiologists say, things are not going to change.

Sophie

[Tony F]

Anyway - I used to test the England Rugby squad at a time when all they wanted to do was go to the bar and have a

I bet you hated your job ;)

[Mike Rowley]

It would be wrong of me to say that MBI being a simple test of weight (kg)divided by Ht (M)Sqd is much easier than getting the skinfold calipers out. (Physiologists know how to use them though).
Anyway - I used to test the England Rugby squad at a time when all they wanted to do was go to the bar and have a pint - how times have changed!

Sadly - it is done this way and no matter what we physiologists say, things are not going to change.

Sophie

I have just renewed my HSE medical. My BMI was 33 (3 over the HSE limit). However, my doctor stated quite clearly that this measure should not be viewed in isolation and must be considered in the light of all other factors such as general level of fitness, muscle mass, tolerance to exercise stress and any other medical conditions the applicant may suffer from.

It is clear from this that a BMI of over 30 is not an automatic bar to an HSE medical.

Hope this helps shed a little light.

Anyone seen the anti-fat bas...d cream???;)

Mike

[JamesW]

I had my HSE medical last wednesday my BMI was 28.6 I asked him about this, I was told the same as Mike.
Thanks

[Sophie]

Obviously. Sadly we didn't get too many tickets to their games - it was back in the days of amateur rugby!
Sophie

[SteveCT]

But the fat percentage would be lower, as the higher mass is made up of muscle
My karate instructor is classed as obese by the BMI but he is built like a brick s**t house and is as solid as a house.

Steve