Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Saturation Diving:**
* A technique developed in the 1960s for extreme-depth work (e.g., offshore oil industry)
* Divers live in a pressurized environment for extended periods, breathing a specialized gas mixture (e.g., helium-based)
* This approach avoids frequent decompressions, reducing the risk of decompression sickness (the "bends")
* However, it comes with unique hazards:
+ Nitrogen narcosis
+ Oxygen toxicity
+ Helium-induced voice changes and heat loss
+ High-pressure nervous syndrome
**The Byford Dolphin Accident (1983):**
* A tragic incident involving a saturation diving system on an oil rig in the North Sea
* Human error (possibly due to fatigue and miscommunication) led to a catastrophic decompression, killing four divers instantly
* Investigation and subsequent lawsuit (resolved in 2008) highlighted the need for improved safety measures in saturation diving systems
**Current State:**
* Saturation diving remains a widely used, high-risk, but well-paid profession (up to $1,400/day)
* Safety measures and accident rates have improved significantly since the Byford Dolphin incident, yet it serves as a reminder of the dangers inherent in extreme environments.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, each with a number and in short sentence form, excluding opinions:
**General Facts**
1. Saturation diving is a technique for living and working at extreme depths for extended periods.
2. It was developed as part of the U.S. Navy's SEALAB program in the mid-1960s.
3. Saturation diving allows humans to overcome the danger of decompression sickness (the bends).
**Technical Aspects**
4. After a certain time, a diver's body becomes fully saturated with nitrogen, reducing decompression risks.
5. Saturation divers spend their entire working shift under pressure and off-hours in a pressurized diving chamber.
6. They travel to/from the job site in a pressurized diving bell (transfer capsule).
7. Saturation divers breathe a gas mixture (Trimix) with less oxygen and more helium at depths below 80 meters.
8. Helium alters the human voice, requiring electronic scramblers for communication.
**Health Risks**
9. Nitrogen narcosis can cause disorienting euphoria in divers.
10. Oxygen becomes toxic below around 80 meters.
11. Breathing helium at depths below 300 meters can produce severe neurological effects (High Pressure Nervous Syndrome).
12. Decompression sickness can cause crippling joint pain, strokes, paralysis, and death.
**Biford Dolphin Accident**
13. On November 5th, 1983, an accident occurred on the Biford Dolphin semi-submersible offshore oil rig in the Norwegian North Sea.
14. The accident involved a saturation diving system malfunction, resulting in instant decompression.
15. Four divers (Edwin Coward, Roy Lucas, Jean Bergenson, and Trolls Halvik) and one tender (William Crammond) were killed.
16. The incident was attributed to human error and a lack of safety features in the diving system.
17. An investigation was conducted, but the equipment fault was not initially reported.
18. The families of the divers eventually received a settlement in 2008, 25 years after the accident.
**Current Status**
19. The Biford Dolphin rig is still in operation, currently contracted with British Petroleum.
20. Saturation diving remains widely used in the offshore oil industry.
21. Many saturation divers receive up to $1,400 US dollars per day.
22. Safety measures and accident rates have improved significantly since 1983.