Divers face specific physical and health risks when they go underwater with scuba or other diving equipment, or use high pressure breathing gas.
A hazard that is understood and acknowledged may present a lower risk if appropriate precautions are taken, and the consequences may be less severe if mitigation procedures are planned and in place.
Commercial diving operations tend to be less tolerant of risk than recreational, particularly technical divers, who are less constrained by occupational health and safety legislation.
No significant associations with decompression sickness or arterial gas embolism were found for asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, smoking, or body mass index.
Increased depth, previous DCI, days diving, and being male were associated with higher risk for decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism.