Diving Safe Work Method Statement

Occupational diving in Australia requires certification through recognized bodies such as the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) or equivalent international certification meeting AS/NZS 2299 standards. For swimming pool and shallow water work, minimum certification is Occupational Diver Part 1 covering depths to 30 metres. This qualification requires successful completion of training covering diving physics and physiology, decompression theory, breathing apparatus operation, emergency procedures, underwater work techniques, and demonstrated competency in both theory and practical diving skills. Training typically requires 2-4 weeks full-time with both classroom instruction and in-water training. In addition to diving qualification, divers must hold a current medical fitness certificate issued within the previous 12 months by a physician trained in dive medicine. The medical examination assesses cardiovascular fitness, respiratory function, ear and sinus health, and screens for conditions that may contraindicate diving. Dive supervisors require advanced certification including supervisor-specific training covering dive planning, emergency management, and personnel supervision. Annual refresher training and regular diving activity maintains currency, with divers who have not dived for 6 months requiring documented refresher training before returning to occupational diving. All certifications and medical fitness must be verified and documented before any person is permitted to dive on a commercial operation.

Decompression requirements depend on both depth and time at depth, not depth alone. For typical swimming pool depths of 2-4 metres, decompression stops are not required even for extended bottom times exceeding one hour. However, many commercial aquatic facilities, diving pools, and training facilities have depths of 5-10 metres where decompression considerations become relevant. Using standard decompression tables (DCIEM or US Navy), dives to 9 metres require no decompression stops for bottom times up to 140 minutes, while dives to 12 metres allow 100 minutes no-decompression time. However, best practice for all dives deeper than 10 metres is to perform a safety stop at 5 metres depth for 3-5 minutes even if not required by tables, providing additional safety margin and reducing decompression illness risk. For repetitive dives where multiple dives occur within 12 hours, surface intervals must be adequate to allow nitrogen elimination before subsequent dives, typically minimum 1 hour between dives with longer intervals preferred. Dive computers calculate decompression requirements in real-time based on actual depth profile and automatically indicate if decompression stops are required. The critical factor is never exceeding the decompression limits shown on tables or dive computers as doing so dramatically increases decompression illness risk. Even in shallow pools, rapid ascents can cause problems—always ascend slowly at maximum 9 metres per minute regardless of depth.

Decompression illness (DCI) requires immediate medical response as delays cause permanent neurological damage. If a diver complains of joint pain, skin rashes or itching, unusual fatigue, numbness or tingling, weakness in limbs, dizziness, visual disturbances, breathing difficulty, or any unusual symptoms within 24 hours of diving, assume DCI and take immediate action. First, keep the casualty lying flat and still—do not allow them to walk, exert themselves, or shower as this worsens symptoms. Administer 100% oxygen immediately using a demand valve or positive pressure mask, maintaining oxygen administration continuously. Call emergency services (000) reporting suspected decompression illness and requesting ambulance transport to hospital. Simultaneously contact the Divers Emergency Service (DES) 24-hour hotline at 1800-088-200 which provides specialist dive medicine advice and coordinates recompression chamber access. DES will advise on immediate treatment and arrange chamber availability at the nearest recompression facility. Provide DES and emergency services with complete dive profile information including maximum depth, bottom time, surface interval if repetitive dives, ascent rate, and symptom onset time. Keep the casualty warm and calm, monitoring vital signs and level of consciousness. If symptoms are severe including unconsciousness or breathing difficulty, commence CPR if required. Do not give the casualty food or fluids as they may require anaesthesia for recompression treatment. Transport to recompression chamber should occur as quickly as possible—ideally within 4-6 hours of symptom onset—as treatment delays significantly worsen outcomes. Most DCI cases fully resolve with prompt recompression treatment, but delayed treatment often results in permanent disability.

No. AS/NZS 2299.1 and Australian WHS regulations explicitly require a standby diver for all occupational diving operations. The standby diver must be dressed and ready for immediate water entry, positioned at the dive site, and capable of entering the water within 30 seconds of an emergency occurring. This requirement exists because drowning can occur within 3-5 minutes of breathing gas loss, entanglement, or other emergencies, and surface personnel cannot don diving equipment and reach a distressed diver quickly enough to prevent fatality. The standby diver provides the only realistic rescue capability for diving emergencies. They must be equally or more qualified than the working diver, fully dressed in diving equipment with breathing gas connected, equipped with emergency gas supply and cutting tools, and thoroughly briefed on the dive plan and emergency procedures. Some operators attempt to avoid this requirement by claiming pool diving is low-risk due to shallow depth, but depth is irrelevant to drowning risk—entanglement in pool equipment, breathing apparatus failure, or medical emergency can cause death in any depth of water. The only exceptions to standby diver requirements are specifically defined low-risk activities such as SCUBA instruction in confined water with students under direct supervision in depths less than 5 metres. All commercial diving including pool inspection, maintenance, and construction requires standby diver protection. Regulatory authorities including SafeWork agencies actively enforce this requirement and prosecute breaches, particularly following incidents. Insurance coverage for diving operations requires compliance with AS/NZS 2299 standards including standby diver provisions. Operating without standby diver represents reckless disregard for safety and exposes your business to prosecution, insurance exclusion, and devastating consequences if an incident occurs.

All breathing gas must be analyzed before diving to verify it meets AS/NZS 2299 air quality standards and is safe for breathing under pressure. Testing must verify oxygen content is 20-22% (normal atmospheric oxygen), as variations outside this range indicate contamination or improper filling. Carbon monoxide must not exceed 5 parts per million (ppm) as CO is extremely toxic under pressure with even low concentrations causing unconsciousness and death at diving depths. Carbon dioxide must be less than 500 ppm to prevent breathing difficulties and CO2 toxicity symptoms. Oil contamination must be absent, detected through smell or specialized testing. Moisture content must be within specifications preventing freezing in demand valves at pressure. The most practical testing method uses portable gas analyzers that measure oxygen percentage and carbon monoxide levels, providing results within 1-2 minutes. These analyzers should be calibrated regularly and protected from contamination. Laboratory analysis provides more comprehensive testing including CO2, oil vapor, and contaminants, but takes longer requiring pre-planning. All test results must be documented in dive records including date, time, cylinder identification, oxygen percentage, CO and CO2 levels, and tester identification. Cylinders failing testing must be clearly marked as rejected, emptied, and either discarded or sent for professional cleaning and re-inspection before refilling. Never use breathing gas without current analysis results as contamination is invisible and odorless in many cases but fatal under pressure. Compressors producing breathing gas must have intake positioned away from contamination sources, with regular maintenance preventing oil carry-over or mechanical contamination. Annual detailed air quality testing by certified laboratories provides verification of compressor performance and compliance with regulations.

Diving in confined overhead environments where direct vertical ascent to the surface is prevented requires specialized training, equipment, and procedures beyond standard open water diving. AS/NZS 2299.1 classifies such diving as penetration diving requiring additional qualifications including confined space diving certification. These environments present extreme hazards including inability to perform emergency ascent, disorientation in low visibility, entanglement in equipment or structures, silt-out conditions eliminating all visibility, and psychological stress increasing breathing rates and gas consumption. Before confined overhead diving is performed, comprehensive risk assessment must identify all hazards and establish whether the work can be accomplished through alternative methods eliminating the need for overhead environment entry. If confined overhead diving is essential, controls must include continuous guideline from entry point to exit maintaining physical connection preventing disorientation, redundant breathing gas supply providing backup in case of primary failure, adequate reserve gas for extended exit time from maximum penetration point with safety factor, specialized lighting including primary and backup dive lights with sufficient burn time, buddy diving with continuous physical contact or guideline connection between divers, and comprehensive emergency procedures including line-guided emergency exit and contingency for silt-out or entanglement. Only divers with specific confined overhead environment training should perform this work, as standard open water training does not address the unique hazards and techniques required. Pre-dive survey must map the confined environment identifying dimensions, obstacles, entanglement hazards, and emergency exit routes. For very confined spaces such as pipework or tunnels, full-face masks with voice communication provide better emergency communication than standard demand regulators. The dive plan must document maximum penetration distance, turn-around gas pressure ensuring adequate reserve for exit, and contingencies for all foreseeable emergencies. In many cases, remote operated vehicles (ROVs) or alternative inspection methods are safer and more cost-effective than putting divers into confined overhead environments.