TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

CHAPTER 1 

• THE PROBLEM 
• INTRODUCTION
• THE KNOWLEDGE: PHYSIOLOGY OF THE IMMERSION INCIDENT TO 1995 

1.  Initial immersion or cold shock
2.  Short-term immersion or swimming failure
3.  Long-term immersion or hypothermia 
4.  Post-rescue collapse

• THE DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS AND EQUIPMENT 

CHAPTER 2 THE INITIAL RESPONSES TO IMMERSION (STAGE 1 AND STAGE 2) - NEW SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION SINCE 1975 

STAGE 1 – COLD SHOCK 

• Breath Holding Ability And Ability To Control Breathing Rate 
• Manual Dexterity 
• Practical Evidence That Cold Shock Kills 

STAGE 2 : SWIMMING FAILURE 

• Potential for Cardiac Arrhythmias 

STAGE 3: HYPOTHERMIA 

• Heat Balance: The Basic Physics 
• A Typical Case Where Death was Attributed to Hypothermia 
• Should Passengers Wear Lifejackets Prior To Abandonment? 

CHAPTER 3

• WHAT IS THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC DATA AND SURVIVOR TESTIMONY FOR LEGISLATION OF LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES IN CANADA? 
  
• How Should Canada Proceed with New Legislation?  
• CONCLUSIONS 
• REFERENCES 
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS