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

• 40. (1) No diving supervisor shall permit a diver supervised by the supervisor to make a dive that is part of a diving operation from

  • (a) a place referred to in paragraph 6(1)(b) that is unsuitable;

  • (b) a craft that has insufficient power or stability for the safe conduct of the dive;

  • (c) a dive site located more than 2 m above the water unless a suitable skip, diving bell or diving submersible is used to transport the diver through the air-water interface;

  • (d) a dynamically positioned craft unless

    • (i) the craft has been operating in the dynamically positioned mode for at least 30 minutes before the diver enters the water,

    • (ii) the range of surge or sway movement of the water at the dive site is less than 80 per cent of the maximum operational capacity limit of the craft,

    • (iii) a skip or a diving bell is positioned as close as possible to the diver’s underwater work site,

    • (iv) all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent any umbilical used in the dive from coming into contact with any propeller or manoeuvring unit of the craft,

    • (v) any change of heading or positioning of the craft, at any time a diver involved in the diving operation is in the water, is made only after the diving supervisor has granted permission for the change and the diver has been notified, and

    • (vi) the craft complies with the requirements of section 25; and

  • (e) a craft that is underway, except in the case of an emergency.

• (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a craft that is operating in the dynamically positioned mode and that complies with the requirements of section 25 is not considered to be underway.

• (3) No supervisor shall conduct a diving operation unless the person in charge of the craft or installation from which the diving operation is to be conducted has been notified of the proposed diving operation.

41. No diving supervisor shall use or permit to be used SCUBA in a diving operation supervised by the supervisor except where any other diving technique is impracticable or hazardous to use and unless

• (a) the diving operation is conducted in water that is less than 20 m deep;

• (b) the diving operation can be completed without the need for decompression;

• (c) the diver using SCUBA is connected to a lifeline or, where the use of a lifeline is impracticable,

  • (i) the diver is in contact, visually or orally, with another diver who is in the water, securely connected to a lifeline and assisted by an attendant at the dive site, or

  • (ii) some other effective method of ensuring that diver’s safety is provided;

• (d) there is a practical means of communication between the supervisor and the diver using SCUBA and there is a means of oral communication between the supervisor and other personnel involved in the diving operation;

• (e) the diving crew for the duration of the diving operation includes a minimum of one supervisor, one diver, one stand-by diver and as many attendants as the supervisor considers necessary to ensure the safety of the divers involved in the diving operation; and

• (f) all applicable provisions of these Regulations are complied with.