Canada Oil and Gas Diving Regulations (SOR/88-600)

Category II Dives

• 55 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall make a category II dive in a diving operation unless the person

  • (a) meets the criteria set out in paragraphs 53(a) to (c) and (e); and

  • (b) holds

    • (i) a valid category II diving certificate issued pursuant to section 56 or 71,

    • (ii) during the first year in which the person makes a category II dive in a diving operation, a valid document that is

      • (A) issued by a country other than Canada on the basis of training and experience that are equivalent to the training and experience referred to in paragraph 56(1)(a), and

      • (B) acceptable to the Minister, or

    • (iii) a valid category III diving certificate issued pursuant to section 58 or 71 or a valid document referred to in paragraph 57(1)(b).

• (2) A diver who holds a category I diving certificate may make a category II dive for training purposes in a diving operation where

  • (a) the diver is employed in a diving program on a full-time basis to make category I dives;

  • (b) the dive is authorized as a training dive by the operator or the operator’s representative responsible for the diving operation and the person in charge of the craft or installation from which the dive will be conducted; and

  • (c) the diver makes the dive under the close supervision of a diver who holds a category II or category III diving certificate.

Category II Diving Certificates

• 56 (1) The Minister may, on application, issue a category II diving certificate that is valid for one year to a person who has attained a standard of competence in category II diving that is acceptable to the Minister and who

  • (a) has

    • (i) successfully completed, at a school, institution or company acceptable to the Minister, training in the theoretical and practical aspects of diving appropriate to category II diving, including

      • (A) the use of mixed gas as a breathing mixture,

      • (B) mixed gas diving techniques and operational procedures,

      • (C) the use and operation of any diving plant and equipment,

      • (D) any type of underwater work generally done by a diver,

      • (E) the use of communications systems,

      • (F) emergency procedures, including hyperbaric first-aid techniques and the operation of compression chambers, and

      • (G) a thorough study of these Regulations, and

    • (ii) been employed to make category I dives for at least the 12 months preceding the application and has made at least 60 dives in a diving bell or diving submersible with a bottom time totalling at least 20 hours, including at least 30 lock-out dives of which four were to a depth of more than 50 m, two were to a depth of more than 80 m and one was to a depth of 100 m or more, with a bottom time totalling at least 30 minutes per lock-out dive;

  • (b) held a category II diving certificate that was issued pursuant to this subsection but is no longer valid because it was not renewed pursuant to subsection (2) and who made at least 28 dives with a bottom time totalling at least 24 hours of which at least 10 dives were category II dives with a bottom time totalling at least 10 hours during the 12 months preceding the application;

  • (c) until December 31, 1990, has satisfied the Minister that the person’s training and experience are equivalent to the training and experience described in paragraph (a); or

  • (d) holds a valid document referred to in paragraph 55(1)(b).

• (2) The Minister may, on application by the holder of a category II diving certificate issued pursuant to subsection (1), renew the certificate for a period of one year where the holder of the certificate has made at least 24 dives with a bottom time totalling at least 20 hours, including at least eight category II dives with a bottom time totalling at least eight hours during the 12 months preceding the application.

Category III Dives

• 57 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall make a category III dive in a diving operation unless the person

  • (a) meets the criteria set out in paragraphs 53(a) to (c) and (e); and

  • (b) holds a valid category III diving certificate issued pursuant to section 58 or 71 or, during the first year in which the person makes a category III dive in a diving operation, a valid document that is

    • (i) issued by a country other than Canada on the basis of training and experience that are equivalent to the training and experience described in paragraph 58(1)(a), and

    • (ii) acceptable to the Minister.

• (2) A diver who holds a category II diving certificate may make a category III dive for training purposes in a diving operation where

  • (a) the diver is employed in a diving program on a full-time basis to make category II dives;

  • (b) the dive is authorized as a training dive by the operator or the operator’s representative responsible for the diving operation and the person in charge of the craft or installation from which the dive will be conducted; and

  • (c) the diver makes the dive under the close supervision of a diver who holds a category III diving certificate.

Category III Diving Certificates

• 58 (1) The Minister may, on application, issue a category III diving certificate that is valid for one year to a person who has attained a standard of competence in category III diving that is acceptable to the Minister and who

  • (a) has

    • (i) successfully completed, at a school, institution or company acceptable to the Minister, training in the theoretical and practical aspects of diving appropriate to category III diving, including

      • (A) at least one saturation dive to a depth of not less than 75 m with at least two lock-out dives with a bottom time totalling at least 30 minutes per lock-out dive,

      • (B) saturation diving techniques and operational procedures,

      • (C) the use and operation of any diving plant and equipment,

      • (D) any type of underwater work generally done by a diver,

      • (E) emergency procedures relevant to saturation diving, including hyperbaric first-aid techniques and the operation of compression chambers, and

      • (F) a thorough study of these Regulations, and

    • (ii) been employed to make category II dives for at least the two years preceding the application and has made at least 24 category II dives;

  • (b) held a category III diving certificate that was issued pursuant to this subsection but is no longer valid because it was not renewed pursuant to subsection (2) and who made at least 28 dives with a bottom time totalling at least 32 hours, including at least 10 category II dives with a bottom time totalling at least 10 hours and at least one saturation dive during the 12 months preceding the application;

  • (c) until December 31, 1990, has satisfied the Minister that the person’s training and experience are equivalent to the training and experience referred to in paragraph (a); or

  • (d) holds a valid document referred to in paragraph 57(1)(b).

• (2) The Minister may, on application by the holder of a category III diving certificate issued pursuant to subsection (1), renew the certificate for a period of one year where the holder of that certificate has made at least 24 dives with a bottom time totalling at least 24 hours, including at least eight category II dives from a diving bell or diving submersible with a bottom time totalling at least eight hours and at least one saturation dive during the 12 months preceding the application.

Restrictions Respecting Diving Certificates and Documents

• 59 (1) The Minister may insert in a diving certificate issued pursuant to section 54, 56, 58 or 71, or attach to a document referred to in paragraph 53(d), 55(1)(b) or 57(1)(b), restrictions on diving by the holder of the certificate or document where the Minister considers those restrictions necessary for safety reasons.

• (2) Where the Minister inserts a restriction in a certificate or attaches a restriction to a document pursuant to subsection (1), the Minister shall give the holder of the certificate or document, an opportunity to show cause why that restriction should not be inserted or attached.

Restrictions Respecting Medical Certificates

• 60 (1) A diving doctor who examines a diver for the purposes of paragraph 53(b) or section 71 may insert in the diver’s medical certificate medical restrictions on diving by the holder of the medical certificate where the diving doctor considers those restrictions necessary for safety reasons.

• (2) Where a diving doctor inserts medical restrictions in a diver’s medical certificate pursuant to subsection (1) or certifies in a medical certificate in a diver’s logbook that the diver is medically unfit to dive, the Minister shall, on application by the diver within one month after the insertion or certification by the diving doctor, review that certificate and the diver’s medical examination record related to the certificate with one or more specialized diving doctors.

Invalidation of Diving Certificates

• 61 (1) The Minister may invalidate a diving certificate issued pursuant to section 54, 56, 58 or 71 where, in the opinion of the Minister, the holder of the certificate has become incompetent or incapacitated.

• (2) Where the Minister proposes to invalidate a diving certificate pursuant to subsection (1), the Minister shall give the holder of the certificate at least 30 days’ notice in writing setting out the reasons for the proposed invalidation and shall give the holder an opportunity to show cause why the certificate should not be invalidated.

Diver’s Duties

• 62 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no diver shall make a dive in a diving operation unless

  • (a) prior to the dive, the diver has

    • (i) checked the diver’s personal diving equipment and is satisfied that the equipment is in good working order, and

    • (ii) reported to the supervisor of the diving operation any remedies, treatments, pharmaceuticals, intoxicants or drugs taken by the diver within the 48 hours preceding the dive, any injury or illness experienced by that diver since the diver’s most recent dive and any restrictions imposed pursuant to section 60 by a diving doctor as a result of the diving doctor’s examination of that diver after an injury or illness;

  • (b) in the case of a diver who has experienced an injury or illness other than decompression sickness since the diver’s most recent dive, the diver has received approval for further diving from a diving doctor or a hyperbaric first-aid technician who consulted with a diving doctor concerning the injury or illness;

  • (c) in the case of a diver who has experienced decompression sickness type I, at least two days have elapsed since the diver successfully completed recompression therapy;

  • (d) in the case of a diver who has experienced decompression sickness type II, at least five days have elapsed since the diver successfully completed recompression therapy and the diver has received approval for further diving from a diving doctor; and

  • (e) in the case of a diver who has experienced decompression sickness type I in two consecutive dives, the diver has received approval for further diving from a diving doctor.

• (2) No diver shall make a saturation dive unless

  • (a) in the case of a diver whose most recent dive was a saturation dive of 14 days’ duration or less, at least 14 days have elapsed since the diver completed decompression; and

  • (b) in the case of a diver whose most recent dive was a saturation dive of more than 14 days’ duration, at least 28 days have elapsed since the diver completed decompression.

• (3) Where a diver who is employed in a diving operation believes the diver is unfit or unable to dive at any time during that employment, the diver shall so inform the supervisor of the diving operation and shall give the reason for that belief.

• (4) Where a diver becomes aware of any oil or other contaminant in waters in which a diving operation is being conducted, the diver shall forthwith inform the supervisor of the diving operation of the contaminant.

Diver’s Logbooks

• 63 (1) A diver shall keep a logbook that is permanently bound, has numbered pages and contains the name and signature of the diver and a photograph that is a likeness of the diver.

• (2) A diver shall, as soon as possible after making a dive, enter in the diver’s logbook referred to in subsection (1), for each dive made by the diver,

  • (a) the date of the dive;

  • (b) the name of the diving contractor, if any, who conducted the dive;

  • (c) the name of the operator or the operator’s representative responsible for the dive;

  • (d) the name or other designation and the location of the craft or installation from which, or other dive site at which, the dive was conducted;

  • (e) the dive identification number referred to in paragraph 50(1)(e);

  • (f) the name of the supervisor of the dive;

  • (g) the maximum depth, the bottom time and the total dive time of the dive;

  • (h) the decompression table and the schedule in that decompression table that were used in the dive;

  • (i) the decompression procedures followed by the diver;

  • (j) the type of personal diving equipment used by the diver;

  • (k) any injury suffered by the diver during the dive;

  • (l) the work performed by the diver;

  • (m) a description of any discomfort or illness, including decompression sickness, suffered by the diver; and

  • (n) any other factor relevant to the safety or health of the diver.

• (3) A diver shall, after completion of an entry in the diver’s logbook in accordance with subsection (2), immediately sign the entry and request the supervisor of the dive to countersign the entry as soon as possible.

• (4) No person shall make any alteration to an entry in a diver’s logbook referred to in subsection (1) unless the alteration is initialled by the diver and by the supervisor who countersigned the entry.

• (5) A diver shall produce, on request, the diver’s logbook referred to in subsection (1) for inspection by

  • (a) a conservation engineer pursuant to paragraph 43(b) of the Act; and

  • (b) the diving doctor who examines the diver for the purposes of these Regulations, at the time of the examination.

• (6) A diver shall keep in the diver’s logbook referred to in subsection (1)

  • (a) the diver’s diving certificate or equivalent document;

  • (b) any certificates or other evidence of qualification in addition to those referred to in paragraph (a); and

  • (c) any certificates or other evidence of medical examination received from a diving doctor.

• (7) A diver shall retain the diver’s logbook referred to in subsection (1) for a period of not less than two years after the day of the last entry made in it.

PART VIIPilots

ADS Dives

64 No person shall pilot an ADS in a diving operation unless the person

• (a) is 18 years of age or older;

• (b) has been certified to be medically fit

  • (i) to dive, in accordance with paragraph 53(b), or

  • (ii) to pilot an ADS, by a medical doctor who has examined the person not more than 12 months prior to the date on which the diving operation is to be conducted and who has recorded the results of the examination on a medical examination record in the form set out in Schedule V or in another form acceptable to the Minister and on a pilot’s medical certificate in that person’s pilot’s logbook referred to in section 69;

• (c) has delivered a copy of the medical certificate referred to in paragraph 53(b), or the medical certificate referred to in subparagraph (b)(ii), to the diving contractor who conducts the diving operation;

• (d) holds a valid pilot’s certificate issued pursuant to section 65 or 71, or a valid document that is

  • (i) issued by a country other than Canada on the basis of training and experience that are equivalent to the training and experience described in paragraph 65(1)(a), and

  • (ii) acceptable to the Minister; and

• (e) has satisfied the supervisor of the diving operation that

  • (i) the person is capable of using, and has sufficient experience in the use of, the type of ADS and associated equipment to be used in the diving operation and is familiar with the relevant provisions of the procedures manual referred to in paragraph 4(4)(a) and the contingency plan referred to in paragraph 4(4)(i) to be used in the diving operation, and

  • (ii) the person’s involvement in the diving operation is in no way contrary to any restriction

    • (A) inserted in that person’s pilot’s certificate or attached to that person’s document referred to in paragraph (d) pursuant to section 66, or

    • (B) inserted in that person’s pilot’s medical certificate pursuant to section 60 or 67.