Diving at Work. Managing Scientific and Archaeological Diving Projects

Transcription

1 Diving at Work Managing Scientific and Archaeological Diving Projects Revision: January 2011

2 Contents Section 1 Policy Statement Section 2 Organisational arrangements University Court Heads of School Diving Project Managers Diving Advisory Group Section 3 Management of diving projects Legal standards and technical guidance Appointment of the Diving Contractor Preparation of the Diving Project Plan and Risk Assessment Insurance Appointment of Dive Supervisors Duties of Dive Supervisor Formation of the dive team Undergraduate students and others accompanying a dive team Undergraduate students diving as part of coursework or projects Diving projects abroad Diver registration, competence and fitness to dive Provision and maintenance of equipment Decompression procedures Keeping records of diving operations Use of boats Section 4 Emergency Planning Recovery of a casualty from the water First aid Recompression

3 Section 1 Policy The University of Glasgow recognises that sub-aqua diving is a hazardous activity and takes seriously the risks associated with it. Our aim is to comply with all legal requirements associated with this activity and, where reasonably practicable, to go beyond the minimum legal standard and adopt best practice to safeguard the health and safety of all who take part in work related diving operations associated with the University. The University expects all staff involved in such work to adopt the highest standards of care in the planning and conduct of all work involving diving whether they organise such work directly or participate in diving projects that are managed by others. Anyone who takes part in diving activities whilst at work in Great Britain is legally required to comply with the Diving at Work Regulations As a general principle, the University requires all staff members involved in activities within the scope of these regulations to ensure that their work complies with this legislation as an absolute minimum. All work or course-related diving work, whether carried out by staff or students, must be notified to Safety and Environmental Services and the insurance section of the Finance Office in advance. Where diving work is conducted overseas whether as a University of Glasgow led undertaking or in conjunction with another organisation an equivalent standard of safety must be achieved particularly with regard to standards of qualification, equipment working practice and emergency arrangements. This policy applies to any scientific or archaeological diving carried out by staff or students which involves a work-related element but does NOT apply to diving that is wholly recreational. Section 2 Organisational arrangements University Court The University of Glasgow has a legal responsibility to ensure that all work-related diving projects in which university staff or students take part are planned, managed and conducted in a manner which protects the health and safety of those involved. Where the University acts as diving contractor it has additional legal duties. This document is intended to set out the arrangements that the University Court requires staff involved in such work to establish to achieve this aim. Heads of School/Director of Research Institute/Head of Service The University Court delegates the functions necessary to achieve the aims of the policy set out above through the line management structure of the institution to Heads of School, Directors of Research Institute or Heads of Service under whose control diving 1

4 work is undertaken. Those in these management positions must ensure that suitable systems are established within their area of control to achieve the objectives of the policy. For brevity, the term Head of School is used to refer to any staff in these or similar managerial positions. This document sets out some of the steps necessary to manage diving operations safely. Heads of School will normally wish to appoint one or more Diving Project Managers to oversee diving work within their school and to carry out the tasks indicated. Whilst these tasks may be delegated, Heads of School should discuss this work with Diving Project Managers and should ensure that suitable arrangements are established to manage and monitor all diving projects to ensure that they are carried out safely, in accordance with both legal requirements and with corporate and college/school policies or standards. Although this document sets out the general principles to be followed, it is anticipated that Heads of School will prepare local documentation setting out the management arrangements that apply within their area of control. Diving Project Managers Within schools it is anticipated that diving work will be associated with particular research work or taught courses and an individual with appropriate managerial control over this work should be appointed to act as Diving Project Manager. This person will carry out many of the functions of the diving contractor on behalf of both the University and their Head of School in respect of the project they manage. Key duties of the Diving Project Manager duties include:- Preparation of a Diving Project Plan and Risk Assessment Appointment of qualified and medically fit dive teams Appointment of a suitably competent Dive Supervisor(s) Selection and maintenance of suitable equipment Ensuring appropriate record keeping It is important that the Diving Project Manager has a sound understanding of the work being undertaken and the risks involved in it. The Diving Project Manager need not hold diving qualifications personally but must be competent to manage such work. Further advice on this can be obtained from Safety and Environmental Protection Services (SEPS). Diving Advisory Group The University has established a Diving Advisory Group to provide technical advice on proposed diving projects. This group consist of individuals with technical knowledge and experience of diving, and other staff with particular professional skills or involvement in this area of work. This group will examine any proposed Diving Project Plan and will provide advice to SEPS, and to Diving Project Managers on the technical content of these. It is a requirement that ALL Diving Project Plans be presented to this group for technical comment on the safety elements prior to diving operations commencing. SEPS may provide advice to Heads of School and to Diving Project Managers on the safety aspects of the work based either on the group s recommendations or on professional judgement and may prohibit any activities that are considered hazardous or in contravention of any safety legislation. 2

5 This system is intended to ensure that there is a technical scrutiny of planned work to ensure that the key safety elements have been considered before diving takes place. The intention is that this will provide a reassurance to both Heads of School and to the University that diving projects are being appropriately planned and managed. However, this does not constitute a formal approval process and, as with all risk assessments, the day-to-day responsibility for safe conduct of the work remains with the Head of School and Diving Project Manager under whose control the work is being undertaken. Section 3 Management of Diving Projects Legal standards and technical guidance The legal standards concerning work related diving within the UK are set out by the Diving at Work Regulations These regulations are supported by an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) aimed specifically at scientific and archaeological diving projects and this code deals with diving operations that fall within this class or work. If diving is planned which is not for these purposes, or is carried out offshore, other codes of practice may be applicable and in such cases those organising the work must identify the legal standards appropriate to the operations planned. Safety and Environmental Protection Services may be consulted for advice. The Approved Code of Practice on Scientific and Archaeological Diving Projects has a legal status and together with the regulations themselves, represents the minimum acceptable legal standard. This is available from the HSE publications website as a free download. Further technical guidance on good practice is contained in a document published by the Scientific Diving Supervisory Committee (SDSC), entitled Advice Notes for Scientific and Archaeological Diving. The Advice Notes act as a supplement to the Approved Code of Practice and were written by a team of industry specialists in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive. Where the content is relevant to the work being undertaken, Diving Project Managers should seek to follow the guidance in the Advice Notes unless there is good reason to adopt an alternative approach and safety standards are not compromised by this variation. Diving Project Managers should obtain copies of each of these documents and familiarise themselves with them. Other members of the dive team may also benefit from a working knowledge of these documents, particularly the Advice Notes and these should be made available to members of the team for reference and consultation. SEPS can provide help with obtaining copies. At the time of writing the Advice Notes are available for free download on the SDSC website. A diving section exists on SEPS website with some of the key links. General notification of diving activities Safety and Environmental Protection Services must be notified in advance of any workrelated diving activity that is to be undertaken by any member of staff, or by any other person associated with the University (e.g. postgraduate or undergraduate student, visiting academic etc.) This is to ensure that appropriate safety arrangements are in place and to ensure that the University insurers can be made aware of the full extent of 3

6 our diving activities. It is likely that a general notification of the activity and of its scope will suffice in most cases rather than specific notification of individual dives although this might be required in some high risk situations. Appointment of the Diving Contractor The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 state that no person who is at work may take part in any diving project within Great Britain unless the project is carried out under the control of a diving contractor. Only one diving contractor may oversee any particular project. Usually, the diving contractor will be the employer of the divers who are taking part in the operation or, where there is a mixed team from different organisations, one of the employers. The role CANNOT be contracted out to an agent other than to an individual who is a self-employed diver and who dives in the project. The diving contractor is responsible for compliance with most of the legal duties imposed by the regulations and must notify the Health and Safety Executive that they will be undertaking diving work. The University has made the required notification and, in circumstances where the work is carried out by dive teams consisting solely of University of Glasgow employees (including postgraduate students), the University of Glasgow will be the diving contractor. The name of the diving contractor responsible for each diving operation MUST be recorded on the Diving Project Plan and on the Diving Operations Record. It is the responsibility of the Diving Project Manager to ensure that this is done. If there is mixed team diving and employees of other organisations form part of the dive team, agreement has to be reached between the parties involved about which organisation will act as diving contractor for the project. This appointment must be jointly recorded in writing. The appointed organisation will need to have notified HSE that they are involved in diving work and have appropriate health and safety management systems in place. Should a situation arise, where the diving contractor is NOT going to be the University of Glasgow, Diving Project Managers should consult SEPS for advice. In such situations some verification of the organisation s ability to safely manage the work will be required and a formal agreement setting out who the diving contractor is to be will be required. As a general principle, the Diving Project Manager will act on behalf of the Diving Contractor for the project that they are managing. Preparation of the Diving Project Plan and Risk Assessment One of the key functions of the Diving Project Manager is to plan the work and prepare a Risk Assessment and Diving Project Plan. This must detail the risks associated with the diving project and the measures that will be in place to control those risks. Often a project will include a series of individual dives and the Diving Project Plan and Risk Assessment may include generic content provided it also addresses any site-specific and date-specific risks that may be associated with individual diving operations. Risks may vary from day-to-day (e.g. weather conditions, tide, visibility) and therefore suitable arrangements to deal with changing conditions need to be specified. In addition to any generic risk assessment, individual site and date specific risk assessments will normally be needed to address this. The Diving Project Plan must indicate how the project will be broken down into elements that can be supervised by individual Dive Supervisors. 4

7 There is no specified format for a diving project plan but it should provide a comprehensive description of the work planned, an explanation of the risks likely to be encountered and details of how these will be managed. The SDSC Advice Notes provide a good source of information on the factors that may need to be included in a Diving Project Plan. As well as risks associated with diving, other health and safety risks must also be taken into account and appropriate risk assessments and procedures developed for these. In some cases these may form part of the overall Diving Project Plan but could also be prepared as separate risk assessments, e.g. boat launching, use of vehicles etc. Discussion of these risks in detail is outside the scope of this document. However, virtually all diving will be conducted as fieldwork and normal local procedures for management of fieldwork will apply in addition to any diving related risks. Insurance Dive Project Managers must ensure that appropriate insurance cover is in place for the work that they are managing. The Insurance Section of the Finance Office can provide advice and assistance with this and MUST be contacted well in advance of any planned diving. Details of travel arrangements may also be required by the Finance Office. If appropriate cover cannot be put in place whether due to late notification or other reasons, the diving work will not be permitted. Appointment of Dive Supervisors The law requires that the diving contractor appoints a suitably qualified and competent person to supervise each diving operation. This person is known as the Dive Supervisor. Within the University, appointment is a two-part process comprising an initial registration followed by appointment as Dive Supervisor to specific diving operations. The latter part of the appointment process is carried out on behalf of the Diving Contractor by the Diving Project Manager responsible for the diving project within which the Dive Supervisor will work. To initiate an appointment Diving Project Managers should apply via SEPS for registration of any individual that they wish to appoint as a Dive Supervisor. An application form for registration is attached within the Appendix. Dive Supervisors need not be fully qualified and medically fit to dive themselves but must be competent to perform their duties. A list of recommended competencies for Dive Supervisors is published by the SDSC and Project Managers should ensure that anyone appointed as a Dive Supervisor fulfils these criteria. Competence may be achieved either by a specialist training course, suitable in-house training or by assessment of prior knowledge and experience. Diving Project Managers should supply evidence of competence before registration of a Dive Supervisor will be accepted. Dive Supervisors will normally require a HSE Approved First Aid at Work qualification unless this role is fulfilled by another member of the surface support team. (See First Aid section.) A counter-signature by the Head of School is required for registration. If registration is granted, the Diving Project Manager MUST formally appoint the individual to act as a Dive Supervisor for the specific diving operations within the project 5

8 they are managing. This appointment must, by law, be in writing and must be time and date specific. To achieve this, the Diving Project Plan and Diving Operations Record will form part of the appointment and the Dive Supervisor for any individual dive must be identifiable from these documents. Dive Supervisors must be given a copy of the Diving Project Plan covering the work they are to supervise. Registered Dive Supervisors may be exchanged between projects provided the Dive Project Manager is satisfied that they are competent to carry out the work required AND a formally written appointment to the relevant diving operation is made on the Diving Operations Record. Projects will often involve more than one dive and it is likely that more than one person could be registered and capable of carrying out the Dive Supervisor role for each project. Having a pool of Dive Supervisors is acceptable and allows flexibility in operations and, potentially, rotation of those diving. However, Diving Project Managers must note that each individual diving operation must be under the control of one, and only one, Dive Supervisor at a time. To ensure that this is managed correctly, the name of the Dive Supervisor in charge of each individual diving operation must be entered in the Diving Operations Record. If it becomes necessary to switch Dive Supervisors during a dive, the time of the handover, the reason for it and the name of the new Dive Supervisor must be entered in the Diving Operations Record to clearly show the change. Duties of Dive Supervisor The Dive Supervisor has a legal responsibility to ensure that the diving operation under their direction is carried out safely and should be on site and directly in control of the dive during its entire duration. This includes transport of divers to any place for emergency recompression or treatment. A Dive Supervisor may not dive in any operation they are supervising except in certain benign circumstances such as where the dive is in a swimming pool or tank. There is guidance within the ACOP on this. For most work the Dive Supervisor must remain on the surface. A primary duty of the Dive Supervisor is to ensure that all of those taking part are aware of the contents of the diving project plan and fully understand the plan for the particular dive they are taking part in. They are also responsible for making on-site risk assessment judgements about weather or water conditions, or other risks that may not be known fully in advance. They must also monitor the work and condition of the dive team to ensure that all members of the team are fit, competent and able to carry out the tasks required of them on the day. As the person in charge, the Dive Supervisor may give reasonable instructions to members of the diving group or to anyone else whose actions may affect the safety of the dive team. This includes people who are not at work but may be participating in the dive and may also include third parties whose actions may affect the safety of divers. The supervisor must ensure that pre-dive safety checks are carried out and that the conclusions of any on-site risk assessment are recorded on the Diving Operations Record or on a specific risk assessment record. They must also ensure that details of the dive are recorded on the Diving Operations Record. They should maintain communication with the dive team throughout the operation and should carry out a predive briefing to ensure that all involved are clear about the dive plan. The Dive 6

9 Supervisor remains responsible for divers during the period after diving when it might reasonably be anticipated that symptoms of decompression illness could occur. The University generally requires Dive Supervisors to be qualified in first aid unless an alternative first aid arrangement is made using an additional surface team member. Composition of the Dive Team As part of the Diving Project Plan, the Diving Project Manager must identify the size and composition of the dive team that is needed to carry out the planned work safely. The need to deal with foreseeable emergencies should be taken into account. In particular, extra people may be required to help with recovery of a casualty from the water, provide first aid or go for help in an emergency. The availability of a mobile phone signal or other means or emergency communication should be taken into account. All persons who are needed to conduct the dive safely are regarded as forming part of the nominated dive team, although they may not necessarily enter the water. The Approved Code of Practice on scientific and archaeological diving, indicates that in good conditions the minimum acceptable size of dive team for SCUBA would be a Dive Supervisor and two divers, one acting as Lead Diver and the other as a buddy. However, it also indicates that only rarely will it be acceptable to use the minimum size team and larger teams may be needed. The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 do not prohibit dive teams being made up by a mixture of people who are at work and those who are not. Provided they are competent to carry out the duties assigned to them it is acceptable for those who are not at work (e.g. undergraduate students) to assist with aspects of the team duties (Emergency action, first aid etc.) and, if suitably qualified and medically certificated, to act as divers. NOTE THAT ALL DIVERS FORMING PART OF THE NOMINATED IN-WATER TEAM REQUIRED BY THE DIVING PROJECT PLAN MUST BE QUALIFIED TO A STANDARD THAT IS APPROVED BY HSE FOR DIVING AT WORK, MUST HOLD A CURRENT HSE CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL FITNESS AND MUST BE REGISTERED AS UNIVERSITY DIVERS. All divers must remain diving fit and if a diver has not undertaken a dive recently, a programme of work-up dives may be needed. The SDSC Advice Notes provide guidance on this. It is the responsibility of the Diving Project Manager to ensure that divers are diving fit for work to which they are assigned. Persons accompanying a dive team Where the Diving Project Plan and Risk Assessment indicates that the risks are tolerable, it may be acceptable for persons not at work, such as undergraduate students and volunteers, who are not qualified to a standard suitable for work related diving, to accompany the nominated dive team. However, they cannot form a part of the nominated dive team. If anyone is to accompany a dive on this basis, the Diving Project Manager must ensure that they are qualified at least to a recognised recreational diving standard, are competent and are medically fit to dive. A HSE Certificate of Medical Fitness is not required but a level of fitness suitable for recreational/sports diving is required. Advice 7

10 on this should be sought from the University Occupational Health Unit who may wish to undertake a medical assessment. Where people are accompanying the dive team the size of the nominated team may need to be increased to ensure proper supervision of any accompanying divers. Employees and postgraduate students who do not meet the HSE requirements regarding qualification and medical fitness for at work divers MUST NOT attempt to circumvent the Regulations by diving for work purposes as an accompanying member of a dive team or by diving recreationally or out of hours. ALL work related diving MUST be carried out to the standards set by the Diving at Work Regulations. Undergraduate students diving as part of coursework or projects Undergraduate students are unlikely to be routinely involved in diving projects as part of planned coursework. However, there may be circumstances where a student wishes to dive as part of a student project. Where such work is planned the student should seek the advice of their course co-ordinator who must consult the Safety and Environmental Protection Services, Finance Office Insurance Section, the relevant Head of School and the School Safety Co-ordinator about the proposal. Students must not dive in support of their course work unless authorisation has been granted by their course co-ordinator following such consultation. As undergraduate students are not at work the Diving at Work Regulations do not apply to such diving projects (unless they also involve someone who is at work e.g. a staff member.) However, the University does have a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure the health and safety of students and must take adequate steps to ensure that any dives by students are organised and conducted safely. The Health and Safety Executive recognise this situation and have issued a formal statement (June 2004) on the status of undergraduate students who take part in scientific diving as part of their studies. This document indicates that, as a minimum, the university must ensure that diving is carried out under the auspices of a recognised recreational diving agency or organisation and in accordance with their safe diving rules and recommendations. Where such an arrangement is proposed the Course Co-ordinator should seek written confirmation from the club or organisation involved to ensure that they are happy to allow the activity to take place. In many cases the organisation will operate under the PADI system. However, the Course Co-ordinator should check what level of surface and in-water supervision and emergency support will be provided. This should be at least comparable to that required under the PADI system. SEPS can provide advice on what information should be sought initially. Diving projects abroad Although the Regulations only apply to work in Great Britain (and in certain offshore territorial waters), the University recognises that some diving projects will be carried out abroad. In all cases a Diving Project Manager should be appointed to manage the work and a Diving Project Plan must be prepared. Where diving from UK registered ships is 8

11 planned merchant shipping legislation covering diving may apply and SEPS will require additional information about the nature scope and arrangements for such work. Where dives are done under the direct control of the University of Glasgow the procedures detailed in this document should be applied. Where a local contractor is engaged to provide support services and/or equipment the Diving Project Manager should seek appropriate evidence of the qualifications, competence and standard of maintenance of equipment that will be used. The precise nature of what is required will vary depending on local laws, rules and procedures in the area where the work is taking place. However, the overriding aim should be to obtain adequate assurance that the work will be conducted competently and safely. Details of the safety arrangements should be recorded in the Diving Project Plan or in supporting documents. Diver registration, competence and fitness to dive Before any employee or postgraduate student of the University participates in any workrelated dive, whether carried out under the control of the University of Glasgow or as an accompanying diver with another dive team, they must first become registered with the University of Glasgow by application through SEPS. This is essential to allow the University to ensure that it is discharges its functions as a diving contractor and to ensure that appropriate insurance cover is in place for the full extent of the diving activities that are taking place. An application form for this purpose is attached in the Appendix. Note that this form must be signed by the Diving Project Manager and/or the relevant Head of School. Before anyone may become registered they will have to demonstrate that:- they hold a suitable HSE approved qualification; and are medically fit to dive. Applications for registration must be accompanied by evidence of suitable qualification and fitness. Such evidence would normally be a copy of any diving qualifications and the front page of a current Certificate of Medical Fitness issued by an HSE approved medical examiner of divers. In some circumstances the full Certificate of Medical Fitness may be requested by the Occupational Health Section. Attendance for additional medical assessment may be requested either prior to registration being granted or at any time during the registration period. If the applicant is suitably qualified and medically fit, registration will normally be granted. Continued registration will be dependant on a new certificate being produced and all registered divers who require continued registration must supply a Certificate of Medical Fitness to SEPS and to their Diving Project Manager at the appropriate annual intervals. Any diver whose registration lapses will no longer be permitted to dive until registration is renewed. Regulation 13 of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 states that no person shall dive in a diving project if they know of anything (including an illness or medical condition) which makes them unfit to dive. It is the personal responsibility of all nominated dive team members and any other divers taking part to ensure that they are fit to dive and to inform the Diving Project Manager and/or Dive Supervisor immediately if they become aware of anything that may affect their fitness to dive. Such factors may include, 9

12 medical conditions, effects of drugs or alcohol, effects of medication, tiredness or any feeling of being unwell. Women should seek medical advice before diving if pregnancy is suspected or confirmed or if they are attempting to become pregnant. Account should be taken not just of the effects of the dive itself but of any recompression therapy that may become necessary. Possession of a qualification or registration alone is not sufficient. The regulations prohibit any person from diving at work unless they are competent to carry out safely and without risk to health any activity they may reasonably expect to carry out while taking part in the diving project. (Regulation 13.) If an applicant has not had any recent diving experience the individual and Diving Project Manager should jointly consider the need for refresher training. Notwithstanding any registration that may be granted, it is the responsibility of the Diving Project Manager to make sure that all divers taking part in a project under their control hold appropriate approved qualifications are in possession of a current Certificate of Medical Fitness and are competent. Provision and maintenance of equipment It is the responsibility of the Diving Project Manager to ensure that all equipment made available for diving operations is in good condition and is subject to an appropriate inspection, maintenance and testing regime. All equipment that is University owned must be recorded on an inventory with a written scheme of examination detailed for each item. Each item must be checked in accordance with this scheme by a competent person (usually a specialist) and records of this kept. Scuba sets are regarded as pressure plant and this level of maintenance is a legal requirement. Maintenance should generally be carried out in accordance with any recommendations provided by the equipment manufacturer and full records of all maintenance and any repairs carried out must be kept. Diving Project Plans should indicate that immediate pre-use checks of the equipment in use are to be carried out by those taking part and Dive Supervisors should ensure that this happens. It is the responsibility of each diver to make a pre-dive safety check of their own equipment, aided by a team member where necessary. Where individual divers use their own personal equipment, the Diving Project Manager should seek written confirmation and evidence from them that this equipment has been serviced in accordance with the manufacturer s service schedule. If it is impractical to obtain this information in advance of the diving operation, this confirmation should be recorded in the Diving Operations Record by the Dive Supervisor. If hired or borrowed equipment is used, the Diving Project Manager or Dive Supervisor should seek written evidence from the supplier that the equipment has been serviced or checked by a competent person at least within the previous 6 months, or more frequently if the manufacturer recommends this. Copies of test certificates must be obtained where this is applicable. It is expected that most dives carried out by the University of Glasgow will involve the use of SCUBA equipment using compressed air to a recognised international, European or National Standard only. If the use of alternative breathing gas mixtures or the use of 10

13 surface fed equipment is proposed SEPS must be notified and technical advice may be required from the Diving Advisory Group. It is recommended that checklists be used to ensure that all necessary equipment is available on-site before a dive commences. Decompression procedures Every dive involves a reduction of the pressure acting on the body and a subsequent release of inert gas at some stage. This process is called decompression and must be carried out in a controlled manner to avoid the risk of harm to the diver. Safe decompression may be achieved by limiting the dive depth and duration so that it is safe to make a continuous ascent to the surface (a no-stop dive) or by incorporating predetermined decompression stops at certain depths, before final ascent to the surface. ( decompression-stop dive) The Diving Project Manager must ensure that all dives are planned to ensure an appropriate decompression regime. Decisions about the dive plan should be made by the Dive Project Manager or Dive Supervisor aided by suitable decompression tables that are familiar to those taking part. Details of the decompression arrangements must be included within the Diving Project Plan. The Dive Supervisor is responsible for briefing divers on the planned decompression procedure. Reliance should not be placed solely on use of dive computers. It is likely that most work carried out by the University will be done as no-stop dives where the maximum depth and duration of the dive are planned to avoid the need for mandatory in-water decompression stops. Precautionary safety stops are desirable on any dive and details of these should be included in the Diving Project Plan and Diving Operations Record. If compressed air is used as the breathing gas, the maximum dive depth must not exceed 30 metres. Note that for all dives suitable recompression facilities must be identified and arrangements planned for access to these in an emergency. Further details of this requirement are given in the Emergency Planning section below. It is the responsibility of the Diving Project Manager to ensure that the decompression requirements of the dive are identified and recorded in the Diving Project Plan and that the location and travelling time to a suitable hyperbaric chamber have been determined and arrangements made for access to it in an emergency. Keeping records of diving operations The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 require that records be kept of all diving operations. An example form that may be used for this purpose is attached within the Appendix. Diving Operation Record - The diving contractor (the University) is legally obliged to ensure that a record containing legally specified particulars is kept for all dives. This record is known as a Diving Operation Record. The responsibility for ensuring that this is done is delegated to Diving Project Managers in the first instance and they must ensure that Dive Supervisors maintain an appropriate record for every diving operation. An example form is included in the Appendix. If alternative record systems are used the Diving Project Manager must ensure that the system chosen contains the legally 11

14 required information specified by the Health and Safety Executive. Diving Operation Records must be kept for a minimum of two years after the date of the last entry. Personal Diving Log - Every diver involved in a diving operation whilst at work, whether as a nominated dive team member or as an accompanying diver, must, by law, maintain a personal daily record of their diving. A form that may be used for this purpose is provided within the Appendix. Note that the SDSC sell hardback scientific diving logbooks which may be more suitable for long term retention of records. Alternative record keeping systems may be used provided they contain the details recommended within the SDSC Advice Notes. All records must be kept up-to-date and must accurately reflect the details contained in the Diving Operation Record. Personal Diving Logs must be kept for a minimum of two years after the date of the last entry. Use of boats Many diving projects will involve use of boats or various types. Detailed safety information on this topic is beyond the scope of this document. However, Dive Project Managers must take any risks associated with boat use (including road transport, launching and recovery) into account during the planning process and in the risk assessment for the work. Where boats are handled by University of Glasgow staff or students it is essential that those involved have received a level of training appropriate to the nature of the work being done and in some cases this may involve formal certification or qualification. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) provide a useful point of contact for all matters related to boat use and publish several codes of practice that give practical information on safe use of various types of craft. In particular, the document entitled The Safety of Small Workboats and Pilot Boats (the Brown Code) is of relevance to many of the vessels used in support of diving. This document, together with other codes in the same series, is available for download from the MCA website. In some cases, compliance with MCA codes is mandatory. Dive Project Managers should also be aware that there are complex legal requirements concerning use of commercial vessels. It is likely that vessels of this type will be under the control of a professional operator rather than University staff. In such a situation Diving Project Managers should ensure that the vessel is suitably designed equipped and maintained and that the Master of the vessel understands the diving plan and knows what is required of him. In particular the respective responsibilities and actions of the Dive Supervisor and Master of the vessel during emergencies should be agreed beforehand. Where the vessel is not under the control of an independent operator, Dive Project Managers must ensure that they have identified and complied with any legislation applicable to any vessel that is operated directly under their control. Section 4 Emergency Planning The Diving Project Plan should include details of the arrangements for dealing with an emergency. This will include procedures for recovery of a casualty from the water, provision of first aid (including emergency oxygen administration), arrangements for summoning help and arrangements for transport of a casualty to a hospital, or to a 12

15 recompression facility. Other non-injury emergencies should also be considered, e.g. breakdown of equipment. The arrangements for summoning help should not involve the Dive Supervisor or other essential dive team members leaving the dive site. This should be taken into account when planning the size of the team needed. Where they are not specific to diving, some of these arrangements may be considered as part of a more generic fieldwork risk assessment. Emergency contact details The diving project plan should consider what emergency contact details might be required in an emergency. A written list of emergency contact phone numbers must be prepared and kept available with the dive team. A copy of this information should also be held within the University and should be accessible to school staff for emergency use. The list should include contact details for emergency services which, in some cases, may include the Coastguard of other specialised agencies. Contact details for any hyperbaric chamber operator who is providing emergency cover must be provided. Note that the University Main Security Gatehouse can be contacted on All of this information can usefully be included on an Action in the Event of an Emergency form Recovery of a casualty from the water This can be difficult particularly with the minimum size dive team. All dive team members should practice recovery of a casualty under conditions representative of those likely to be encountered during a dive to ensure that they are familiar with the techniques needed and are able to carry these out safely and effectively. Short courses in dive rescue are available from specialist organisations and Diving Project Managers may wish to consider these particularly where staff lack the necessary competence or experience. First aid The Diving Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that sufficient people in the diving project are trained to the required standard in first aid and that appropriate first aid equipment is available on-site. For work of normal risk, the minimum level of provision should be at least two first aiders who are both qualified to the HSE Approved First Aid at Work standard. One of the first aiders should be the Dive Supervisor or another surface support team member. At least two people, one of whom must remain on the surface during the dive, must be trained in oxygen therapy. These may be the first aiders or other team members. A standard first aid box should be available on site as well as any specialist equipment that may be needed, such as oxygen therapy equipment. Diving Project Managers may consider it beneficial for all members of the team to have an HSE Approved First Aid qualification and it is strongly recommended that ALL divers and Dive Supervisors undergo basic training on resuscitation and oxygen therapy. These recommendations are considered to provide a basic level of cover suitable for normal risk activities. However, the precise nature of first aid necessary will depend on the work being carried out, its location and the risks involved. The level of provision of both first aiders and equipment proposed must be detailed as part of the Diving Project Plan. 13

16 Emergency recompression For all dives, suitable recompression facilities for emergency use need to be identified in advance. The requirements for this are set out in the ACOP to the Diving at Work Regulations. Prior arrangement for emergency access to the chamber is particularly important for dives deeper than 10m where the maximum permissible travel time to a recompression facility is relatively short. The legal requirements for provision of recompression facilities are:- For dives with no planned in water decompression stops and a maximum depth of less than 10 metres the nearest two person, two-compartment hyperbaric chamber must be identified. This must be within 6 hours travelling time from the site. For any dive that is deeper than 10 metres and less than 50 metres, or where a dive includes planned decompressions stops of up to 20 minutes duration, a suitable chamber must be available within 2 hours travelling time. If decompression stops of over 20 minutes are planned the hyperbaric chamber must be on-site. The practicalities of this are likely to preclude work that requires such provision being carried out directly by the University (but such situations may arise involving dives organised through other agencies or institutions.) It is the responsibility of the Diving Project Manager to ensure that the decompression requirements of the dive are identified and recorded in the Diving Project Plan and that the location and travelling time to a suitable hyperbaric chamber have been determined. At the time of writing there are 4 chambers in Scotland that provide 24-hour cover for divers referred through the NHS. 14

17 APPENDICES

18 Application for registration and appointment as a Dive Supervisor Personal details Full Name: Address: Date of Birth: School/Unit Staff No./Student No. Status within the University Staff / Postgraduate / Undergraduate / Other (please specify) Dive Supervisor competence Please provide a short summary of any relevant experience, skills or qualifications which demonstrate your competence to act as a dive supervisor. (see SDSC published competencies for further information.) First aid Do you hold a current HSE Approved First Aid at work Qualification? Have you received training in oxygen administration to divers? YES / NO YES/ NO Please provide details of organisation awarding certificates and expiry dates of certificates. SEPS FORM DIV1 - SUPERVISOR

19 Application I apply for appointment as a Dive Supervisor. I understand that all work-related diving must be conducted under a relevant diving project plan and that I must have a copy of that plan before supervising any dive. I am aware of my legal responsibilities under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 for dives that I supervise, I have read and understand the Diving at Work Regulations 1997, the Scientific and Archaeological Diving Approved Code of Practice and the SDSC Advice Notes. I understand that when acting as Dive Supervisor I must remain on the surface during the dive and must maintain an appropriate Diving Operation Record. I understand that a separate application is required to dive. Please enclose copies of any certificates and qualifications detailed above. Originals may be requested. Signed: Date: Registration I am satisfied that the applicant meets the SDSC Dive Supervisor competency standards and is capable of performing the duties of Dive Supervisor. I understand that before the applicant may act as a Dive Supervisor the Diving Project Manager must make a written appointment that is specific to the time and date of the diving operation involved and provide a copy of this together with the relevant Diving Project Plan to the applicant. Diving Project Manager: (name) Signed: Date: Head of School: * (not required if Diving Project Manager is Head of School.) (name) Signed: Date: COMPLETED AND SIGNED COPIES OF THIS FORM MUST BE FORWARDED TO:- 1. THE APPLICANT 2. SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SERVICES. * The term Head of School includes Directors of Research Institutes, Heads of Service units and anyone in a similar managerial role. SEPS FORM DIV1 - SUPERVISOR

20 Application for registration as a diver Personal details Full Name: Address: Date of Birth: School/Unit Staff No./Student No. Status within the University Staff / Postgraduate / Undergraduate / Other (please specify) Diving Qualifications and Experience Qualification Details: Is this a HSE Approved Qualification? YES / NO (please circle) Awarding body: Date first awarded: Expiry date: (if applicable) Please provide a short summary of your diving experience: (Give details of total number of dives, locations, number in last year and maximum depth,) Certificate of Medical Fitness Do you hold a current HSE Certificate of Medical Fitness to dive? YES / NO (please circle) Date of most recent HSE-approved medical examination: Expiry date and serial number of current certificate: SEPS FORM DIV2 DIVER

21 Examining Centre and Doctor: First Aid Please provide details of any first aid training, including training in emergency oxygen administration you have received. If you hold a HSE Approved First Aid at Work Qualification please provide details of the certificate number and expiry date. Expiry date of certificate: Application I apply for registration as a University Diver. I understand that all work-related diving I undertake must be conducted under a relevant diving project plan and that a University appointed dive supervisor must oversee all work-related diving operations. I am aware of my responsibilities under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 and under the University s diving policy. I agree to act responsibly and to abide by all reasonable directions given by the Dive Supervisor. Please enclose copies of all certificates and qualifications detailed above. Originals may be requested. Signed: Date: Counter signatures I confirm that I am aware of this application and support it. Diving Project Manager: (name) Note: If the applicant is team leader only a Head of School signature is required.) Signed: Date: Head of School: * (name) Signed: Date: Registration Registration of the above named person as a University Diver is accepted. For registration to remain valid evidence of continued medical fitness MUST be provided to SEPS on an annual basis. Registration will automatically lapse should the named individual cease to be an employee or student of the University. Signed: On behalf of the University of Glasgow Date: Position in organisation: * The term Head of School includes Directors of Research Institutes, Heads of Service units and anyone in a similar managerial role. SEPS FORM DIV2 DIVER

22 Diving Operation Record Contractor Date Site Diving Project Manager Dive Supervisor Appointment... from:... to:... If it is necessary to change Dive Supervisor during the dive, please give reasons why and record details of the new Dive Supervisor below Emergency support arrangements Non-divers in operation, name and duty Equipment defects Emergencies and action taken Nature of operation Diver problems, injuries, etc. Decompression schedule Weather Sea state Tide Vessel First aid personnel and equipment requirements Specific health and safety factors Breathing apparatus and mix used, reason for choice Notes Diver Leave surface Reach surface Bottom time (min) Maximum depth (m) Equipment checked DIV 3 DIVE RECORD Supervisor s signature:... UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER