Newfoundland Offshore Area Petroleum Diving Regulations (SOR/88-601)

• 23. (1) A diving contractor who conducts a diving operation shall provide for the availability of evacuation, rescue and treatment facilities and devices that

  • (a) are suitable for the type, depth and duration of the diving operation and for the environmental conditions under which the diving operation is conducted; and

  • (b) have been approved in accordance with section 5 for the diving program of which the diving operation is a part.

• (2) The evacuation, rescue and treatment facilities and devices referred to in subsection (1) shall be available

  • (a) for use by persons involved in the diving operation as quickly as possible and within the period of time for which the life-support system of the surface compression chamber, diving bell or ADS used in the diving operation is capable of maintaining the life of the occupants; and

  • (b) where practicable, on site.

24. A diving contractor who conducts a diving operation shall

• (a) ensure that at all times during the diving operation each diving crew involved in the diving operation includes a hyperbaric first-aid technician available on the craft or installation from which the diving operation is conducted;

• (b) arrange for the services, on a 24 hour a day basis, of a specialized diving doctor, referred to in paragraph 4(3)(d), who is familiar with the diving procedures to be used in the diving operation and who is within a travelling distance of the diving operation that is acceptable to the Chief Safety Officer, to provide medical assistance in the event of an emergency;

• (c) ensure that an adequate means of communication exists on a 24 hour a day basis between

  • (i) the diving station, or

  • (ii) the craft or installation from which the diving operation is being conducted

  and the specialized diving doctor referred to in paragraph (b); and

• (d) locate the nearest surface compression chamber that is compatible with the equipment used in the diving operation and that is suitable for the type, depth and duration of the diving operation to be conducted and shall make arrangements for the use of that surface compression chamber in the event of an emergency.

25. No diving contractor who conducts a diving operation shall use or permit to be used a craft in the dynamically positioned mode in the diving operation unless that use was specifically approved in accordance with section 5 for the diving program of which the diving operation is a part and the following requirements are complied with:

• (a) the craft is so designed and constructed that

  • (i) more than one prime mover is available for each fore, aft and thwartship thruster,

  • (ii) in the event of the failure of any prime mover or manoeuvring unit of the craft, the position of the craft can be maintained during the period it would take for the safe recovery of divers,

  • (iii) the arrangement of the thrusters and their size and number enable, in the event of the loss of any thruster of the craft, the heading and the position of the craft to be maintained within the environmental and operational capacity limits of that craft for the time it takes to safely recover any skip, diving bell or ADS used in the diving operation,

  • (iv) for each manoeuvring unit necessary to maintain the craft in the dynamically positioned mode, other than the propellers and energy plant units, there is a reserve duplicate unit and an automatic and a manual system to switch from the on-line unit to the duplicate unit,

  • (v) the supervisor on duty at the diving station on the craft can, by means of an alarm system connecting the bridge of the craft to the diving station on the craft, be kept informed by the person who controls the dynamic positioning system of any station-keeping problems or any other problems that might affect the safety of the diving operation,

  • (vi) a computer system controls the dynamic positioning of the craft and another independent, duplicate computer system is available to take over control automatically in the event of failure of the on-line computer system,

  • (vii) there are on line at least two reference systems independently linked into each computer system referred to in subparagraph (vi);

• (b) during any time that a person involved in the diving operation is in the water

  • (i) a person who is responsible for the navigation of the craft and a person who is responsible for the control of the dynamic positioning system are in the control room of the craft,

  • (ii) the machinery spaces of the craft, except those in the pontoons of a semi-submersible craft, are manned, and

  • (iii) in any one manoeuvre, the craft is not moved more than 5 m or the heading of the craft is not changed more than 5°, whichever is the lesser movement in relation to the location of the dive site of the diving operation; and

• (c) any person who is responsible for the control of the dynamic positioning system of the craft has at least six months experience using both the manual and the automatic modes of that particular system or, where that is impracticable, of a similar system, and at least two weeks briefing by the designer or manufacturer of the craft on the behaviour and hydrodynamics of that craft when operating in the dynamically positioned mode.