Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)Code of PracticeDiving Regulations, 2009Code of Practice for Inshore Diving9. Medical9.1 Designated Medical Practitioners |
Not all medical practitioners and medical specialists are able to render general and emergency medical care to injured divers. Medical practitioners should thus receive additional training and have adequate experience to render medical support to diving operations.
Some medical practitioners have had additional training that enables them to examine divers regarding their fitness to dive. All of these medical practitioners are designated in terms of the Regulations as level 1 Designated Medical Practitioners. These designated medical practitioners are however not competent in providing medical support to diving operations.
Some Designated Medical Practitioners, because of additional training and experience, are able to render medical support to diving operations. All of these medical practitioners are designated in terms of the Regulations as level 2 designated medical practitioners. These medical practitioners are able to perform diving medical examinations on divers AND advise on the emergency treatment of divers, as well as on recompression therapy for diving accidents.
| • | Level 2 (air) designated medical practitioners can render operational support to all diving operations involving class VI, V, IV, Ill divers. They can also provide support for diving operations using class II (air) divers. They may not provide operational diving medical support for class II (mixed gas) and class I divers. |
| • | Level 2 (mixed gas) designated medical practitioners cane in addition to the above, also provide operational medical support for diving operations involving class II (mixed gas) and class I divers. |
The designation of all medical practitioners lapse after a period of four years, unless the designated medical practitioner attends refresher training prior to expiry of the designation.
All diving operations should secure the medical support of a designated medical practitioner that is competent to do so.