[Working ability between air and trimix breathing gas under 8 ATA air condition]

Pneumatic caisson work in Japan has come into operation since 1924. Afterward, this technique of compressed air work has been widely utilized in the construction of foundation basements, shafts of the bottom tunnel shields for subway and so forth. While using this technique of compressed air work means that workers have to be exposed to hyperbaric environment, this technique has risks of not only decompression sickness (DCS) but also toxicity of poisonous gas and/or oxygen deficiency. However, this technique is independent of city construction work and the operation of compressed air work higher than 5ATA (4.0 kg/cm2G) is actually been planning recently. Accordingly unmanned caisson work is considered as a better technique for such higher pressurized work, even though workers must enter into hyperbaric working fields for maintenance or repair of unmanned operated machinery and materials. This research is to establish the safe work under hyperbaric air environment at 8ATA.