Articles by Steven M. Barsky - Scuba and Commercial Diving Expert Witness



				In this article from Asian Diver Magazine, Steve talks about his work as a diving accident investigator. Read about one of his cases here. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

Besides his books and and scripts for his videos, Steven M. Barsky has written numerous articles on a wide range of diving topics. Below are just a few of his more recent articles. These articles are all in Adobe Acrobat Format (PDF) and most have been scanned from the original magazine. Click on the image of the first page of the article to download the PDF.

This article explains some of the more common commercial diving accidents and how to avoid them. Certain types of accidents occur all too frequently. This article first appeared in H2Ops Magazine. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

Commercial diving helmets are much more complicated pieces of equipment than most people realize. This article explains the importance of proper regulator testing and development in manufacturing life support equipment. It was written by Bev Morgan and Steve Barsky. This article appeared in Underwater Magazine. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

There are many ways to configure a bail-out system for commercial diving. In this article, Steve Barsky, Mike Ward, and Bev Morgan explain some of the different ways to rig your gear, as well as the pros and cons of different arrangements. This article was published in H2Ops Magazine. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

This article explains the operation and uses of hyperbaric chambers, as well as explaining the different configurations of chambers that are commonly encountered in the field. Steve has operated numerous hyperbaric chambers as well as saturation systems. This article appeared in Alert Diver . Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format..

Dry suits that have been exposed to harsh chemicals can fail without warning. This article, which was published in Underwater Magazine, explains the danger signs and how to help avoid having a catastrophic dry suit failure. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

Diving accidents are always tragic. This article, published in H2Ops Magazine in 2009, explores an actual case that Steve Barsky worked on as an expert witness. The article explores the mistakes made by both the diver and the diving contractor and makes suggestions to avoid future incidents. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

Cases of decompression sickness can be difficult to prove or disprove after the fact. Here is an analysis of what can happen in an alleged case of decompression sickness. The article was published in May 2009 in the Marine Technology Reporter. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

The article on the right is based on a course Steve taught for the United States Coast Guard on the investigation of recreational and commercial diving accidents. The article appeared in PSDiver Monthly. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

USCG Dive Accident Training Course Article

Steve was invited to be the opening speaker at the Divers ALert Network (DAN) Diving Fatality Workshop held in April 2010. His presentation was on the Field Investigation of Recreational Diving Accidents. The complete proceedings are available here. Steve's paper is on page 11 of the document. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format. Note - this is a very large download and will take a few minutes.

In 2011, Steve participated as a defense expert witness in a snorkeling fatality case. Read about the case and the implications it has for the diving industry in this provocative article. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

In this cover story from the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors Magazine, Spring/Summer 2012 edition, Steven M. Barsky explains some of the issues that confront divers who must work in contaminated water.Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat Format.

Nitrox, or enriched air nitrox, is a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen that is different than ordinary compressed air. Nitrox mixtures normally have more oxygen in them than that found in atmospheric air. By using nitrox, divers get longer bottom times, or can reduce their risk of decompression sickness if used conservatively. Both sport and commercial divers use nitrox. This article explains how commercial diving companies are using nitrox to their economic advantage. This article is from the Association of Diving Contractors' International magazine, Underwater. Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.

Although hookah gear is a popular type of equipment for golf ball recovery divers and seafood divers, most who use this equipment are poorly trained, if they're trained at all. This article from Underwater Magazine is about a recent court case where Steven M. Barsky served as an expert witness in the defense of a diving equipment manufacturer.Click on the article itself to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.