Just realized my old way of handling lift bags was a safety risk

On a job in the Gulf last month, the dive supervisor pulled me aside after a deck lift. He said, 'You're not checking the bag's dump valve before you send it up, and that's how you get a runaway.' I had been skipping that step for years, thinking the main valve was enough. Now I always do a full check of both valves, every single time, before the bag leaves my hands. Has anyone else had a close call with a lift bag that taught them a new rule?

3 comments

3 Comments

logansullivan1mo ago

Funny how that works, right? It's like skipping the seatbelt because you're 'just going down the street.' You do the shortcut a thousand times with no issue, so your brain decides it's the real rule. Then one little thing goes wrong, the dump valve is clogged or the buckle is jammed, and the whole system fails. You see it everywhere, from not checking your ladder's lock before climbing to just assuming the power is off before touching a wire. That moment of 'oh, this actually matters' usually comes right after something almost goes really bad.

luna_wells571mo ago

That's the thing with safety shortcuts, they feel fine until they're not. I've seen guys get away with skipping valve checks for years, then one day the bag goes sideways and it's a whole different story. The real danger is that the near miss doesn't usually come with a warning. It just happens, and then you're stuck explaining to the supervisor why you didn't do the basic step. That Pensacola story is exactly the kind of wake-up call that sticks with you. You don't forget a bag punching through the surface like that, especially when it could have taken out a boat or worse, someone's head. It's wild how such a small part of the gear can turn a routine lift into a real problem.

evana711mo ago

We had a runaway bag on a salvage job off Pensacola because the dump valve was clogged with sand. That thing shot to the surface like a rocket and almost hit the workboat's prop. The supervisor made us do valve checks on dry land for a full week after that. I don't even attach a bag now without working both valves by hand first.