PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider
EMERGENCY OXYGEN PROVIDER
Be Prepared When Every Minute Matters.
Knowing how and when to provide emergency oxygen is one of the most valuable skills you can have around divers. The PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty teaches you how to recognise diving-related injuries and illnesses where emergency oxygen may be beneficial and how to provide appropriate care until professional medical help takes over.
You'll learn about emergency oxygen equipment, how to assemble and operate different delivery systems and how to provide oxygen to both breathing and non-breathing casualties.
There are no dives or water sessions required, making this an extremely useful course not only for scuba divers, but also for dive professionals, boat crews, surface support teams and anyone regularly involved in diving activities.
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR EMERGENCY OXYGEN PROVIDER COURSE?
PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider eLearning
Practical hands-on training with emergency oxygen equipment
Learn to recognise diving injuries and illnesses that may require oxygen
Practise assembling and operating an emergency oxygen unit
Learn how to provide oxygen to a breathing casualty
Learn how oxygen can be incorporated into care for a non-breathing casualty
Practise using different oxygen delivery systems
Learn important oxygen equipment and safety considerations
Training with an experienced PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor
All oxygen and training equipment provided
PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider certification on successful completion
WHAT HAPPENS DURING YOUR COURSE?
Your course begins with PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider eLearning, where you'll learn why emergency oxygen is so important in diving emergencies.
You'll look at different diving-related injuries and illnesses, the signs and symptoms you may encounter and when emergency oxygen should be considered.
You'll also learn about oxygen equipment, different delivery methods and the important safety considerations involved when handling and administering oxygen.
Then you'll put that knowledge into practice.
Working with your instructor, you'll learn how to assemble and disassemble an emergency oxygen unit so you can prepare the equipment quickly when it's needed.
You'll practise providing oxygen to a breathing casualty using appropriate delivery equipment, including a non-rebreather mask and demand inhalator valve.
You'll also learn how to connect oxygen to an appropriate rescue breathing mask for use when providing care to a non-breathing casualty.
The emphasis throughout the course is on developing practical skills so that if you're ever faced with a real diving emergency, you're better prepared to recognise the problem, get the equipment ready and provide appropriate care.
WHY IS EMERGENCY OXYGEN SO IMPORTANT?
Many serious diving injuries require rapid assessment, activation of emergency medical services and appropriate first aid.
Emergency oxygen is an important first-aid measure for suspected diving-related illnesses and injuries, including conditions such as decompression illness.
But simply having an oxygen kit nearby isn't enough.
In an emergency, somebody needs to know where the equipment is, how to assemble it, which delivery method to use and how to operate it correctly.
That's what the Emergency Oxygen Provider course is designed to teach.
Whether you're a recreational diver looking after your buddy, a Divemaster or Instructor responsible for other divers, or someone providing surface support, these are skills you hope you'll never need – but will be extremely glad to have if you do.
Questions You May Have
DO I NEED TO BE A CERTIFIED DIVER?
No.
There is no scuba certification prerequisite for the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course.
The course is useful for divers, but it's equally relevant to people who work with or spend time around divers.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
Emergency Oxygen Provider is valuable for anyone who may potentially be present during a diving emergency.
That can include:
Recreational scuba divers
Divemasters and Instructors
Boat crew
Dive centre staff
Surface support personnel
Lifeguards
Freedivers
Snorkellers
and others who regularly spend time around diving or water-based activities.
DO I NEED TO GET IN THE WATER?
No.
There are no confined-water or open-water dives required for the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course.
The practical portion of the course focuses entirely on learning how to recognise potential diving emergencies and correctly use emergency oxygen equipment.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
You'll learn about:
Recognising diving-related injuries and illnesses
When emergency oxygen may be appropriate
Emergency oxygen equipment
Oxygen safety considerations
Assembling and disassembling an oxygen unit
Providing oxygen to a breathing casualty
Using a non-rebreather mask
Using a demand inhalator valve
Using oxygen when providing care to a non-breathing casualty
The emphasis is on developing practical skills you can use in a real emergency.
WHAT OXYGEN EQUIPMENT WILL I PRACTISE WITH?
You'll practise working with emergency oxygen equipment and learn how different delivery systems are used.
This includes providing oxygen to a breathing casualty using a non-rebreather mask and demand inhalator valve, as well as learning how oxygen can be connected to an appropriate rescue breathing mask when caring for a non-breathing casualty.
We'll also cover how to assemble, operate and safely handle the oxygen equipment.
DO I NEED FIRST AID OR CPR TRAINING FIRST?
No.
CPR and First Aid certification isn't a prerequisite for the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course.
However, Emergency Oxygen Provider works extremely well alongside Emergency First Response Primary & Secondary Care, as together they provide a broader range of emergency-response skills.
IS THIS THE SAME AS A FIRST AID COURSE?
No.
Emergency Oxygen Provider specifically focuses on recognising diving-related injuries and illnesses and providing emergency oxygen.
A broader first aid course such as EFR Primary & Secondary Care covers areas including CPR, serious bleeding, shock, injury and illness assessment and other emergency-care skills.
The two courses complement each other extremely well.
WILL I BE QUALIFIED TO DIAGNOSE DECOMPRESSION ILLNESS?
No.
You aren't being trained to medically diagnose a casualty.
Instead, you'll learn to recognise signs, symptoms and circumstances that may indicate a diving-related injury or illness, activate appropriate emergency assistance and provide care within the scope of your training.
Medical diagnosis and definitive treatment remain the responsibility of appropriately qualified medical professionals.
WHAT IS DECOMPRESSION ILLNESS?
Decompression illness (DCI) is a term covering conditions associated with changes in pressure, including decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism.
The signs and symptoms can vary considerably, which is one reason appropriate first aid and rapid access to professional medical assessment are so important following a suspected diving injury.
You'll learn more about recognising potential diving-related problems during the course.
WHY SHOULD RECREATIONAL DIVERS LEARN THIS?
You don't need to be a dive professional to be the person standing closest to an injured diver.
Having emergency oxygen equipment available is valuable, but knowing how to use it confidently and correctly is what makes that equipment useful when something actually happens.
For divers who regularly dive independently with friends or family, Emergency Oxygen Provider is an extremely useful addition to their emergency skills.
IS THIS USEFUL FOR DIVEMASTERS AND INSTRUCTORS?
Absolutely.
Emergency oxygen is an important part of diving emergency preparedness, making this particularly relevant training for dive professionals and those progressing towards professional-level diving.
It's also an excellent course to combine with Rescue Diver, Divemaster or professional-level training.
CAN I TAKE THIS ALONGSIDE RESCUE DIVER?
Yes.
Emergency Oxygen Provider complements the PADI Rescue Diver course extremely well.
Rescue Diver develops your ability to recognise, prevent and manage diving problems, while Emergency Oxygen Provider gives you specific hands-on training in the use of emergency oxygen equipment.
DO I NEED TO OWN AN OXYGEN KIT?
No.
All the emergency oxygen and training equipment required for your course is provided by Scuba Academy.
The course is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with the equipment before deciding whether you want or need an emergency oxygen system of your own.
HOW LONG DOES THE CERTIFICATION LAST?
Your PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider certification itself does not expire.
However, emergency skills can deteriorate when they aren't practised. Regular review and practice is a sensible way to maintain confidence and familiarity with the equipment.
EMERGENCY OXYGEN PROVIDER HIGHLIGHTS
Be ready to help when it matters.
Emergency oxygen is something we hope we'll never need to use – but in a diving emergency, knowing what to do can make an enormous difference.
We'll give you the knowledge and hands-on practice to become more confident and better prepared to respond.