Commercial Divers
Commercial divers inspect, repair and build underwater, on bridges, dams, pipelines, offshore platforms and ship hulls. Diving combines pressure, cold, poor visibility and tools in an environment where help is hard to reach. Strict rules and a team approach keep divers alive.
- Divers
- Tenders
- Dive Supervisors
Rules
- OSHA's commercial diving standard is 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T (1910.401 to 1910.441). It applies to diving in connection with work, including construction and general industry.
- Recreational scientific diving and some other categories follow separate rules. The Coast Guard and other agencies may also regulate certain dives.
- Employers must have a safe practices manual, a trained team and the right equipment.
The dive team
- Designated person in charge (dive supervisor) who has experience and training and is responsible for the dive.
- A minimum team size depends on the type of dive, for example at least a supervisor, a diver, a standby diver and a tender, with larger teams for deeper or more complex dives.
- A standby diver ready to enter the water immediately and a way to rescue the diver.
- Team members must be trained in CPR, first aid and oxygen administration.
Equipment and breathing gas
- Use surface-supplied air or mixed gas for most commercial dives, with a backup supply, a diver-worn emergency gas supply and voice communication to the surface.
- Check gas quality, regulators, hoses, helmets, harnesses and depth gauges before each dive.
- Have a recompression chamber on site for deeper or longer dives, as the rules require, and a plan to reach a hyperbaric facility.
- Follow dive tables and decompression plans, and record each dive.
Hazards
- Decompression sickness ("the bends") and lung injuries from rising too fast.
- Drowning, entanglement and entrapment in lines, pipes and structures.
- Hazards from tools and water flows, including suction at intakes and pipes, electricity near underwater welding and strong currents.
- Cold water, poor visibility and marine life. See Cold Water Immersion.
- Contaminated water that requires special suits and decontamination.
Before a dive
- Hold a pre-dive briefing: plan, hazards, signals and emergency steps
- Lock out or tag out any intake, gate, pump or electrical source that could harm the diver
- Confirm the diver is fit and has no recent illness; divers need periodic medical exams
- Set up communication with the surface and emergency numbers. See Water Rescue
Standards & references
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