| 13.1. | Training and competence - General |
Any person taking part in a diving operation must have the necessary competence and training prior to engaging in diving work and be fully conversant with the machinery, tools and equipment used during the diving project.
Before the dive commences, the standby diver must:
| (a) | be adequately dressed, checked and ready to go with mask or helmet off, but immediately at hand; |
| (b) | have adequate diving equipment with an independent breathing gas appropriate for the depths and circumstances in which the standby diver would have to operate should a rescue become necessary; |
| (c) | not act as a diving tender without another tender, who is not the supervisor, being available to take over these duties. |
Tenders must have the following competencies in order to assist the divers:
| (a) | understand the diving techniques being used, Including a detailed knowledge of the emergency and contingency plans. |
| (b) | be familiar with the diver's personal equipment. |
| (c) | understand the method of deployment being used and all of the actions expected of them in an emergency. |
| (d) | understand the ways in which their actions can affect the diver. |
| (a) | Chambers must only be operated by persons who are qualified and competent to do so. |
| (b) | Persons who are qualified as class II or class I divers are qualified to operate chambers. Other persons must hold a chamber operator's certificate as specified in the Regulations. |
| 13.1.4. | Chamber attendants |
| (a) | Chamber attendant must know how to operate valves on the inside, as well as be intimately familiar with the emergency procedures. |
| (b) | If only one person is inside the chamber, a standby diver must be available to enter the chamber in case of an emergency . |
| 13.1.5. | Surface crew/riggers |
The surface crew must possess the following competencies:
| (a) | must understand and be familiar with good rigging practice. This will include relevant knots, slinging, correct use of shackles etc. |
| (b) | be familiar with safe working loads and safety factors. |
| (c) | understand the task that the diver is being asked to carry out under water |
| (d) | understand the limitations of a diver in relation to the work they can carry out. |
| (e) | understand the various ways in which equipment can be prepared on the surface to ease the task of the diver underwater. |
| 13.2. | Training and competence - Rescue and first aid |
| 13.2.1. | The employer must ensure that adequate medical support, with competencies appropriate to the diving environment, is available at all times to deal with an emergency situation. |
| 13.2.2. | Medical support should be available to the diver from the time of injury until the diver receives appropriate medical care. |
| 13.2.3. | All divers should be in possession of an in-date first aid qualification and be competent in standard diving rescue techniques. |
| 13.2.4. | The standby diver must be in immediate readiness to dive and shall remain on duty at the control point on the surface of the water during the diving operation. |
| 13.2.5. | When diving with a wet bell or similar equipment, the standby diver (bellman) must descend in the bell and must remain in the bell so as to be able to immediately render assistance to the diver working from the bell. |
| 13.3. | Training and competence - Safety and technical |
| 13.3.1. | Employers must ensure that their personnel receive safety and technical training in order to allow them to work safely and in line with any relevant legislation, to meet specific contractual conditions or requirements. |
| 13.3.2. | Safety Training should include the following: |
| (a) | training that is required in terms of any other regulation or legislative document; |
| (b) | courses on first aid, survival or fire-fighting specific to the premises of the client; |
| (c) | task-specific safety training outlining any special hazards associated with the tasks being worked performed as identified in the HIRA; and |
| (d) | refresher training at regular intervals. |
| 13.4. | Number of personnel and team size |
| 13.4.1. | The employer must specify the size of team based on the details of the project and as specified in the commercial diving regulations. For safe operation, this may need to include additional surface support personnel and other management or technical support personnel. |
| 13.4.2. | The employer must provide a sufficient number of competent and qualified personnel to operate all the equipment and to provide support functions to the diving team. |
| 13.4.3. | If personnel who are not employed by the employer are to be used in the diving team for any reason, they must be carefully considered for competence and suitability before being included. |
| 13.4.4. | The team size and composition must always be sufficient to enable the diving operation to be conducted safely and effectively. When deciding on the team size, the following must be considered: |
| (a) | Minimum manning levels |
| (c) | Type of equipment (SCUBA, surface supplied, etc.) |
| (g) | Handling of any unforeseeable emergency situations. |
| 13.4.5. | For umbilicals that are tended from the surface, at least one tender is required for every two divers if the maximum depth of diving does not exceed 30 meters. Whenever diving exceeds 30 meters, at least one tender is required for each diver in the water. |
| 13.4.6. | There must be a minimum of one standby diver for every two divers in the water. The standby diver must not participate in the diving operation until required to assist in an emergency. |
| 13.4.7. | With regard to safe working practices, a person should not work alone when dealing with: |
| (c) | High pressure machinery |
| (d) | Potential fire hazards - welding, burning |
| 13.5. | Readiness and availability of personnel |
All personnel required for the diving operation must be ready and available before the dive commences. This includes personnel who may be on call and available telephonically.
Only personnel that are in-date may take part in diving operations.
Personnel are considered to be in-date when they have a valid medical certificate of fitness and medical certificate of fitness to dive as required in the Regulations.
| 13.7. | Medical certification |
The Designated Medical Practitioner must scrutinize all medical examinations conducted outside South Africa and perform any additional examinations that are required in terms of local conditions, regulations and specific workplace risks.
| 13.8.1. | Diving fitness registry |
All designated medical practitioners performing medical examinations should forward the following information regarding examination to the Southern African Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Association (SAUHMA):
| (a) | the date of the examination |
| (b) | The period of validity of the examination |
| (c) | Name of the person to whom it relates |
| (d) | Passport or identity number of the person |
| (e) | Whether the person is considered fit or not |
| (f) | Any restrictions that may apply |
| (g) | The name, address, telephone number and designation number of the designated medical practitioner who performed the medical examination |
This applies to examinations for all persons covered by the commercial diving regulations.
| 13.8.2. | Records of occupational diseases |
Any occupational diseases should be reported in accordance with the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act. The diagnosis of an occupational disease also requires a workplace investigation, update of the HIRA and implementation of specific risk mitigation strategies.
| 13.9. | Fitness on the day of diving |
Although a diver may be certified as fit to dive for a period of up to twelve months, there are a number of conditions that may render a person temporarily unfit for work on a given day or for a specific period.
| 13.9.1. | Fitness after decompression illness |
| (a) | Divers who have suffered decompression illness, including cases where the diving supervisor or the diver himself suspects that the diver has suffered decompression illness, shall not be allowed to dive again without consultation with the Designated Medical Practitioner. |
| (b) | If the Designated Medical Practitioner confirms a diagnosis of decompression illness, it must be reported as an occupational disease and noted in the diver's logbook. |
| (c) | The diver may only be allowed to dive again after being passed as fit to dive by the Designated Medical Practitioner. |
| (d) | The following minimum times before re-assessment by the Designated Medical Practitioner must be adhered to as far as is reasonably practicable: |
| i. | Simple decompression illness |
Divers suffering decompression illness that manifest as: limb pain only (with no motor system involvement); cutaneous (skin rash with itching, but excluding marbling of the skin); lymphatic or non-specific (persistent headache, excessive fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, etc.):
| • | If the diver fully responds to a single recompression treatment, the diver may be permitted to return to diving in 24 hours. (Telephonic consultation with the designated medical practitioner may be adequate in some cases). |
| • | If the diver does not fully respond, or if a relapse in symptoms occur, or if further recompression therapy is required, the diver may be assessed in 7 days' time. |
| ii. | Sensory neurological decompression illness |
Neurological decompression illness involving sensation in the limbs only (excluding any spinal involvement) and with definite exclusion of motor involvement, the diver may be assessed after 7 days following maximum recovery.
| iii. | Cardiorespiratory decompression illness |
Decompression illness manifesting with cardio-respiratory symptoms (commonly known as the "chokes") or with pulmonary barotrauma, the diver may be assessed after 28 days following maximum recovery.
| iv. | Serious neurological decompression illness |
Decompression illness manifesting with serious neurological signs (motor involvement, inner ear involvement, etc), the diver may be assessed after 28 days following maximum recovery. Specialist consultation is advised.
| (a) | No person reporting himself as unfit for work shall be forced to work and such a person shall not be victimized in any way. A consultation with the Designated Medical Practitioner may be required and this may in certain instances occur telephonically. |
| (b) | No employer may victimise a diving supervisor who considers a diver unfit for diving due to indisposition, physical illness or mental infirmity and such a diver shall not be allowed to participate in the diving project without being cleared by the Designated Medical Practitioner. |
| 13.10.1. | Screening before diving |
| (a) | Each diver shall be medically screened, at the discretion of the diving supervisor, to ensure that the diver is physically fit on a day-to-day basis. This examination may be performed by the supervisor himself, who may refer the person for further medical evaluation if needed. |
| (b) | The screening examination may include the person's ability to equalize, his balance and coordination and other screening tests as prescribed by the Designated Medical Practitioner in the operations manual. |
| (c) | In certain high-risk areas screening for drugs abuse should be included. This may be done at random intervals without the divers, diving supervisors or any other person involved in the diving project knowing. Such screening should however always be conducted within the guidelines and limits set in a company policy on drugs abuse (including alcohol). Such a policy should include clear guidelines and standard procedures, including measures related to disciplinary action (when appropriate) or rehabilitation programmes and disability management (when appropriate). Labour legislation should be consulted in this regard. |
| 13.10.2. | Screening after diving |
The supervisor should screen all divers after a dive and specifically enquire about any abnormal sensations or any other symptoms that may suggest decompression sickness or other injury or disease sustained during the dive. The presence or absence thereof should be clearly noted in the daily diving log. Any abnormalities should be reported to the Designated Medical Practitioner without delay.
A medical alert tag or bracelet, to indicate the possibility of decompression sickness or other diving illness, is recommended to be worn by each diver for at least 24 h after completing each dive. The tag should include the following statement: "This individual is a commercial diver and may need recompression therapy in a decompression chamber." The number for the employer should be displayed.
| 13.12. | Medical equipment on site |
| 13.12.1. | A minimum amount of medical equipment must be at a diving site to provide first aid and medical treatment for the dive team. |
| 13.12.2. | The first aid equipment should be adequately marked to enable any person to identify the first aid kit. |
| 13.12.3. | A specific person should be made responsible for the first aid kit (usually the supervisor). The issue of supplies from the kit should be accompanied by an injury report and proper control of the contents needs to be maintained, including due cognizance of expiry dates thereof. |
| 13.12.4. | Before any dive commences, the employer must ensure that the emergency equipment is ready for immediate use. |
| 13.12.5. | Sufficient stored quantities of medical oxygen must be available at every dive site to ensure that an emergency may be dealt with effectively. |
| 13.13. | Other medical and physiological considerations |
The dive plan must specify that supervisors must be able to monitor divers' breathing patterns and receive verbal reports from the divers of their condition. Seismic Operations and Sonar Transmissions
There are inherent problems for divers who are close to seismic operations or sonar transmissions. If there is any possibility of sonar activity or seismic activity in the vicinity of a diving project, the dive plan must include parameters for the safety of the diver.
| 13.13.2. | Decompression illness after diving |
Divers are at risk of decompression illness (DCI) after diving. It is difficult to treat decompression illness if recompression facilities are not immediately available. The dive plan must specify that divers remain close to suitable recompression facilities for a set time following a dive.
| 13.13.3. | Flying after diving |
The dive plan should state that flying is avoided for a specified time following a dive because of the decrease in pressure on the diver's body caused by increased altitude and the resultant increased risk for decompression sickness.
If transportation is required (e.g. for medical evacuation), the altitude and in-flight conditions shall be recommended by the Designated Medical Practitioner. The cabin pressure of the aircraft shall not be less than the equivalent of an altitude of 300m (approximately 1000ft} above the dive site.
The dive plan should specify ways in which divers can be maintained in thermal balance because excessive heat or cold can affect their health, safety and efficiency. For example, divers may be provided with suitable passive or active heating, such as thermal undergarments and a well-fitting "dry" diving suit, or a hot-water suit. Conversely in very warm waters nothing more than cotton overalls may be required.
