The procedures following the diving incident on 14 November are ongoing, and here is an update on the current situation.
Mr. Suzuki’s parents and two brothers were in Okinawa over the weekend of December 17. President Dorfan visited them personally and delivered a message from OIST and the Board of Governors and updated the family regarding the ongoing and future investigations.
As mentioned in the last update, there are three separate entities that are, or will be, carrying out enquiries.
The official Japanese government investigation led by the Coastguard continues, and we can anticipate that it will take several months to complete.
Three persons of the Okinawa Office of Labor Standards came to inspect OIST on December 21st. It is anticipated that they will examine OIST procedures, such as safety regulations and training requirements, related to this incident from the legal viewpoint of worker safety.
The OIST Review Panel of the Diving Incident has now been set up. The six panel members, who are all external to OIST, have been selected, and all have agreed to serve. The Chair of the Panel will visit OIST soon, and OIST anticipates that the first meeting of the panel will take place in January 2017.
