Diving

As an employer, you must ensure that:

• You receive from the diver and keep for as long as the diver is employed, documents that show the diver has successfully completed an appropriate diver training course or has appropriate training and experience for the diving being planned.
• A diver is trained to the minimum level as set in the First Aid Regulation 2004-130 and holds a valid certificate issued by an agency as described in that regulation.

Medical Requirements and Fitness to Dive

The employer must make sure that:

• Each diver has a current medical certification from a medical practitioner before beginning an underwater diving operation.
• A copy of each diver’s current medical certification is kept at the dive site.

The diver must make sure that:

• Before beginning an underwater diving operation, provide a copy of the diver’s current medical certification to the employer.
• The diver’s medical certification is:
• Established before beginning work as a diver,
• Renewed every two years,
• Renewed more frequently if clinically required, and
• Re-evaluated by a medical practitioner if the diver is involved in an event or has a physical condition that may affect their medical status.
• They undergo the medical examination as required by the employer or diving supervisor to make sure they are physically fit to drive.

A diving supervisor must make sure the diver does not dive when, in the opinion of the diving supervisor, the diver is not able to function safely and effectively under water. The diver must notify the diving supervisor if they have reason to believe that they are unfit to dive.

The diver must wear a registered medical alert tag or bracelet to indicate the possibility of decompression sickness or other pressure-related illness for at least 24 hours after each dive that required a decompression stop or when the decompression schedule (used for depth and duration) has not been followed. The medical alert tag or bracelet must be registered with an agency that is available 24 hours and show the name and telephone number of the agency.

Diver’s log book

The diver must maintain a log book that records all dives, therapeutic recompressions, and other exposures to a compressed air environment, as well as all medical examinations. This log book much be kept for five years after completion. The diver must record the following information for each dive:

• Name of employer,
• Name of diving supervisor,
• Type of diving apparatus used,
• Breathing mixture or breathing gas used,
• Time left surface,
• Bottom time,
• Maximum depth attained,
• Time left bottom,
• Time reached surface,
• Surface interval, if a repeat dive was undertaken,
• Decompression table used,
• Date,
• Name of the tender, and
• Remarks, if any.

If the dive starts from a diving bell or other submerged base, the diver must record the time when they left the bell or base, the greatest depth, the time of returning, and the depth of the bell or base as well as all of the information above.

The diver must make sure the log book also records:

• The entry required for each dive, signed by the diving supervisor,
• Entries for therapeutic recompression or other exposure to a compressed air environment is signed by the attending medical practitioner or diving supervisor, and
• The entry for a medical examination is supported by a certificate signed by the medical practitioner who performed the examination.

The diver must keep either a certification confirming the diver’s successful completion of an appropriate diver training course or a record of the diver’s previous relevant training and experience in the log book.

The diving supervisor must also keep a daily record of each dive, separate from the diver’s log book. The diving supervisor must record the same required information and keep a copy of the diver’s current medical certification. The diving supervisor must file a daily record with the employer, who must keep the daily record for five years and make it available to a health and safety officer when requested.

Planning a dive

The employer must designate a competent person who meets the qualifications , and who has a minimum of five years of diving experience to supervise an underwater diving operation.

The diving supervisor’s duties include:

• Planning the dive or dives in detail,
• Briefing the crew,
• Making sure all the needed equipment is provided and is in good condition,
• Supervising the entire diving operation, and
• Instructing the crew in emergency procedures.

The diving supervisor must make sure that a diver is competent in the use of the diving apparatus, and understands the signals and procedures used.

The employer must make sure that a plan for the underwater diving operation is discussed and accepted by the diving supervisor, the divers, and the employer.

Preparation for a dive

The diving supervisor must make sure that all diving plant and equipment is in good operating condition before beginning an underwater diving operation. The diver must check for all the required equipment and make sure that the equipment is properly fastened in place and is functioning properly immediately before each dive. The diver must repeat this check in the water before descent.

The employer and diving supervisor must each make sure that when an underwater diving operation is in progress, warning devices such as buoys, diver’s flags, lamps, or flares are displayed to define the area to be kept clear of other equipment that is not associated with the operation. The diving supervisor must take precautions to prevent a hazard to a diver from a barge, scow, or vessel in or near the diving area.

The employer and a diving supervisor must make sure a stand-by diver is always present when an underwater diving operation is in progress. Except for a SCUBA diving operation, before an underwater diving operation begins, the employer must arrange for a medical practitioner familiar with medical issues associated with diving to be readily available during the dive and for 24 hours after. This contingency planning also includes that the employer must arrange for the use of a back-up hyperbaric chamber suitable for the depth of the underwater diving operation being carried out.

Diving hazards

Immediately before each dive, the diving supervisor must review the hazards in the diving area and make sure each diver fully understands the hazards involved. The diving supervisor must:

• Make sure a diver in a hazardous area wears, at all times, a life line tended from a position outside of the hazardous area.
• Declare an underwater approach to an intake or exhaust.
• Make sure that when a diver must approach a water intake, exhaust, pipe, tunnel, or duct, the diver is able to differentiate it from other similar objects in the area.
• Make sure the diver does not approach the intake or exhaust until the flow through it is:
• For intake, arrested and locked out.
• For exhaust, slowed down to the point where it is safe for a diver to work near it, and steps are taken so the flow will not occur until the diver leaves the area or is declared by the diving supervisor to be clear of the hazardous area.
• Make sure any mechanism is secured against inadvertent movement before the diver enters the water and is made inoperative and prevented from being activated by isolating the energy source before a diver approaches the area.

The employer and diving supervisor must make sure that a second diving crew with an independent diving plant and equipment capable of performing an effective rescue is on-site when exceptional hazards exist or are predicted.

When explosives are used in an underwater diving operation, all requirements of the General Regulations apply. The diving supervisor, before an underwater charge is fired, must make sure that the area is cleared, all divers are out of the water and at a safe distance from the blast, and the diving boat has moved to a safe distance from the blast area (as determined by the blaster supervising the blast operation). A blaster must control the initiation of all underwater charges. Before firing a charge, a blaster must check with the diving supervisor and get the diving supervisor’s approval before firing a charge.

Breathing mixtures

These requirements do not apply to divers using SCUBA.

The diving supervisor must make sure the breathing mixture meets the air composition and air purity standards as outlined in the CSA standard CAN/CSA Z275.2-92, “Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection. The diving supervisor must also make sure breathing air supplied to a diver meets the requirements of the CSA standard CAN3-Z180.1-M85, “Compressed Breathing Air and Systems” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection, and the breathing gas or air is discharged through adequate filters into a tank or receiver of an appropriate volume. When mixed gas is used, the diving supervisor must make sure the decompression schedule is appropriate for that mixed gas.

The diving supervisor must make sure that the diver working in an underwater diving operation has:

• Sufficient amount of appropriate breathing mixture, including a reserve supply 2.5 times greater than what is required by the operation,
• Suitable diving plant and equipment for supplying the breathing mixture to the diver at an appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow rate,
• Additional reserve supply of the breathing mixture enough for 72 hours along with the needed diving plant and equipment when a submersible compression chamber is being used, and
• Appropriate breathing mixture in the bail-out system carried by the diver.

The employer must provide, and the diving supervisor must make sure, that there is the appropriate breathing mixture in a quantity that is needed for the time it takes a stand-by diver to reach the submerged diver in an emergency and to return to the surface and carry out the appropriate decompression procedures, or return to the submersible compression chamber and then to the surface in the chamber to begin the decompression procedures.

The diving supervisor and employer must make sure that no diver breathes, or will breathe, pure oxygen while submerged at depths more than 7.5 metres, expect following a decompression schedule or for therapeutic purposes.

Decompression

The diving supervisor must make sure that underwater diving operations, repetitive dives, and treatment of divers is done strictly according to the decompression schedules and decompression tables. The diving supervisor must make sure that a double-lock Class A hyperbaric chamber (in operable condition) is on site for the sole use of divers engaged in an underwater diving operation before the operation begins when the planned dive exceeds the no decompression limit, or the depth is more than 40 metres. The diving supervisor must also make sure the hyperbaric chamber conforms to and is operated according to the CSA standard Z275.1-93 “Hyperbaric Facilities” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection.

The diving supervisor must make sure that:

• Treatment begins when a diver shows any indication of pressure-related illness, and that the medical practitioner is alerted immediately.
• A diver who has suffered a pressure-related illness does not dive unless approval for more dives is given by a medical practitioner.
• When decompression is completed, the diver remains under observation and in the general area of the hyperbaric chamber for a period of time that the diving supervisor believes is necessary for the diver’s welfare.

Diving equipment

The employer and diving supervisor must make sure that all diving plant and equipment is:

• Designed to meet the standards of CSA (or equivalent) for that item, of sound construction, adequate strength, free from defect, and maintained in a way that will make sure it has operational integrity for the purpose and depths it was originally designed or used for.
• Protected against malfunction at low temperatures that may be caused by air or water, or the expansion of gas.
• Used in an unmodified form unless the modification is specifically certified or approved by the manufacturer.
• When defective, removed from service until repaired.

The supplier of diving plant and equipment used in an underwater diving operation must make sure that:

• The diving plant and equipment is examined, tested, overhauled, and repaired according to the manufacturer’s recommended procedures,
• Gauges and metering equipment are checked every six months, or whenever a discrepancy is observed, whichever is first, and
• Defective diving equipment is removed from service until repaired.

The diving supervisor must make sure the compressor used to supply compressed air to a diver:

• Is able to maintain a supply of air equal to at least double the volume of air required and at a pressure 25% greater than the maximum pressure in the air tank or receiver,
• Operates automatically without undue fluctuation of pressure in the air tank or receiver, and
• Has tanks, fixtures, and fittings that meet the requirements of CSA standard B51-97 “Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping Code” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection.

The employer and diving supervisor must make sure the compressor is operated by a competent person. The competent person must make sure the equipment needed to supply air to the diver is in good working order.

The diving supervisor must make sure there is a second source of power for the diving plant and equipment that is capable of:

• Being quickly brought on line,
• Operating the handling system for the submersible compression chamber,
• Heating the diving plant and equipment, including heating for any diver in the water,
• Sustaining life-support systems for a submersible compression chamber and any diver in the water,
• Illuminating the work area of a diver and the interior of a submersible compression chamber and dive station, and
• Operating communication and monitoring systems.

When oxygen is used, the diving supervisor must make sure that:

• The use of hoses (instead of piping) to carry or hold oxygen is kept to a minimum,
• Hoses and fittings are made of materials that are compatible with oxygen at the operating pressure and temperature,
• High flow velocities of oxygen through a hose do not have more than 700 kPa in differential pressure,
• The quick-opening valves are not used except for emergency shut-off where it enters the hyperbaric chamber hull, and
• Portable compressed gas containers containing oxygen are stored, handled and used according to the regulations.

The diving supervisor must make sure the life line used by a diver is:

• Secured at the surface to a safe anchor point,
• Tended at all times by a tender,
• Secured in a way that will not allow a loss of contact with the diver,
• Attached to the diver’s safety harness, and
• Is long enough without knots or splices.

The diving supervisor must make sure the diver always wears a diving safety harness that has a lifting ring while diving.

For equipment needed at the diving base on the surface, the diving supervisor must make sure that when diving is in progress, the diving base is equipped with:

• One complete spare set of SCUBA with fully charged cylinders to be used for emergency purposes only, if SCUBA is being used,
• A shot-line of 19 mm manila (or material of the same strength) that is long enough to reach the bottom at the maximum depth of the work area,
• A first aid kit that meets the requirements of the regulations,
• A stretcher and blankets,
• One complete set of decompression tables appropriate for the dive,
• Enough hot beverages for the divers, and
• Other material or equipment as specified by a health and safety officer.

Communication with diver

The employer must provide, and the diving supervisor must make sure that there is effective two-way communication between a diver and any person in control of the diving plant and equipment. When two-way voice communication is required, the employer will provide:

• A sound reproduction that allows the diver’s breathing to be heard clearly,
• A suitable means of voice-unscrambling when the breathing mixture used significantly distorts sound transmission, and
• A recording system for voice communication for depths deeper than 55 metres.

The diving supervisor must make sure the diver using surface-maintained diving equipment knows and understand specific international hand signals.

Moving between air and water

The diving supervisor must make sure that:

• Diving activities are not done from a diving station that is more than 5 metres above the water unless the divers are transported through the air-water interface by a submersible compression chamber, stage, or open diving bell.
• A hoisting device used to raise or lower a diver into the water is not used for any other purpose until after the diver is in position.
• The hoisting device used to raise or lower a submersible compression chamber, stage, or open diving bell is:
• Made so that a brake is automatically applied when the control lever, handle, or switch is not held in the operating position, and
• Not fitted with a pawl-and-ratchet gear on which the pawl must be disengaged before beginning operations.
• The stage:
• Is provided to transport a diver to an underwater work area where the depth is shallower than 55 metres,
• Is large enough to carry at least two divers with their diving equipment and any other equipment in uncramped conditions,
• Is secure against tipping and spinning,
• Does not have any equipment that may interfere with a diver’s foot or hand holds, and
• Is constructed or equipped that the divers are secure to not fall out of the stage.

Open diving bells

The employer and diving supervisor must each make sure that an open diving bell:

• Is a size that will accommodate all submerged divers.
• Provides enough emergency breathing mixture for the safe decompression of divers in an emergency.
• Contains the equipment needed for supplying the breathing mixture occupying or working from the chamber. This equipment must be protected against inadvertent operation.
• Is equipped with a voice communication system that allows a conversation with persons in the diving station, surface supervisory personnel, and divers outside the chamber.
• Contains equipment for lighting.
• Contains first-aid equipment as required by the regulations and lifting equipment enough to hoist an unconscious or injured diver into the chamber by a person located in the chamber.
• Contains a stretcher and blankets.
• Is used with lifting gear that allows the chamber to be lowered to the depth at which the diving operations are to be carried out without excessive lateral, vertical, or rotational movement taking place.
• Is provided with a means that allows the chamber to be returned to the surface when there is a failure of the main lifting gear.
• Limits the diver’s umbilical to 30 metres.

Submersible Compression Chambers

• Is equipped to allow the transfer of personnel under pressure into and from the surface hyperbaric chamber,
• Is designed to enable divers to enter and exit without difficulty, and allows at least 2 divers who are equipped and dressed to be seated inside,
• Is equipped with doors and hatches that act as pressure seals that can be opened from either side, and
• Is equipped with the valves, gauges, and other fittings as needed to control the internal pressure, and to indicate clearly the internal and external pressures inside the chamber and at the diving station.

The diving supervisor must make sure that no underwater diving operation is done from a lock-out submersible unless:

• The submersible is negatively buoyant on the bottom or positively secured to the underwater work area,
• There is a stand-by diver monitoring the operation from the lock-out submersible, and
• The diver’s umbilical is limited to 30 metres.

The employer must make sure that no underwater diving operation is conducted from a lock-out submersible unless the diving supervisor is on board the submersible and present in the one-atmosphere chamber during all external diving operations.

Atmospheric diving systems

The diving supervisor must:

• Locate the nearest back-up atmospheric diving system unit with enough depth capability to perform a rescue and arrange for its use in an emergency.
• Make sure that an atmospheric diving system is not used unless the onboard reserve life-support system will sustain life for a period of time that would allow the back-up unit to reach the site and conduct rescue operations.
• Along with the employer, make sure that a contingency plan is prepared for
• Deteriorating weather and ice conditions during a dive,
• The surface craft being unable to hold station,
• Failure of any major component of the diving plant or equipment, and
• Any other circumstances that may reasonably be anticipated.

SCUBA diving

The employer must make sure that at least three people are present on each dive site when a diver is using SCUBA – 1 diver, 1 stand-by diver, and 1 competent person. A diving supervisor is not required if these three people are present. . The employer must not employ a diver using SCUBA:

• On an underwater construction project,
• When diving in a confined space,
• Where underwater power tools are used,
• Where water currents, visibility, weather conditions or underwater conditions are a hazard to a diver that could be eased if the diver were using surface-supplied air,
• Where the diving environment is contaminated,
• When there is danger of entrapment, or
• When the depth of the dive may be more than 30 metres.

The employer must make sure that a SCUBA diver uses the following equipment, as appropriate for the conditions:

• An open-circuit demand apparatus with a quick-release harness, reserve device or bail-out system,
• A face mask,
• Swimming fins for the feet,
• A snorkel or breathing tube for surface swimming,
• A suitable knife,
• A weight belt with a quick-release closure,
• A submersible pressure gauge,
• An exposure suit or protective clothing appropriate for the conditions of work and the temperature of the water,
• A manually inflatable buoyancy device,
• An underwater watch with an elapsed-time indicator, and
• A device for getting aid from the surface while submerged.

The employer must make sure that the diver using SCUBA uses a life line, and effective two-way communication so the diver is able to receive immediate help from the surface crew, and the crew can effectively recall the submerged diver at any time.

The employer must make sure that each SCUBA cylinder is:

• Hydrostatically tested and stamped at least every five years by an appropriate agency according to the CSA standard CAN/CSA Z275.2-92, “Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection,
• Visually inspected internally and externally at least once every year and labelled with a decal attached securely to the cylinder stating the month and year of inspection by an appropriate agency according to CAN/CSA Z275.2-92, “Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection,
• Not filled until the requirements above have been completed,
• When showing visual signs of damage, the cylinder is tested and inspected according to the CSA standard immediately before being filled,
• Not filled unless it is securely blocked, lashed, and preferably immersed in a protective tank of water,
• Only filled with air meeting the minimum requirements of the CSA standard CAN3-Z180.1-M85, “Compressed Breathing Air and Systems” or a standard offering equivalent or better protection,
• Not subjected to temperatures higher than 55°C,
• Equipped with a safety reserve valve or equivalent in the regulator,
• Transported in an upright position whenever possible,
• Transported with the valves pointing toward the rear of the vehicle, if it cannot be transported upright, and
• Securely tied or blocked during transit with the valves protected to prevent shear off.

The employer must provide indicator devices such as rescue beacons or strobes for the diver’s use when SCUBA diving is done during hours of darkness.

Surface-Supply Diving

When the planned depth of the dive is at most 30 metres, the employer must make sure that a minimum crew of 3 is present, consisting of a diver, a stand-by diver, and a tender. A diving supervisor is not required for this dive.

When the planned depth of the dive is more than 30 metres, the employer must make sure that a minimum crew of 4 is present, consisting of a diver, a stand-by diver, a tender, and a diving supervisor (who does not enter the water).

The employer must make sure a stationary air-line:

• Is properly safeguarded against damage or interference,
• Has a valve fitted in each diver’s air-line that is:
• Easy to access,
• Guarded against interference,
• Clearly marked to identify which diver that air supply is for, and
• Under the care of a competent person,
• Is fitted with a pressure gauge (downstream of the supply valve) so that the tender or diving supervisor can clearly see the dial figures, and
• Is long enough to provide the diver room to respond in an emergency.

If the surface-supplied equipment is designed to be used with a bail-out system, the employer must make sure the diver wears the bail-out system.

The employer must make sure that:

• Non-return valves are fitted to all diving helmets and surface-supply masks, and the non-return valves are checked before beginning diving operations according to the supplier’s recommendations.
• The diver’s umbilical is taped to a life-line at 1 metre intervals, in a way that does not allow the strain on the life-line to create a tension on the umbilical.
• A surface-supplied diver has effective two-way voice communication with the surface.
• When a diver is in the water, a vessel or platform is anchored at or near the diving operation, or that there is a diving platform, skip, pier, or facility that is seaworthy and of a size big enough to hold the diving crew and equipment safely.

Deep Diving

The employer must make sure that a minimum crew of 5 is present, consisting of a diving supervisor, 2 divers (one is the stand-by diver), and 2 tenders. The employer must also make sure there are enough competent persons to operate:

• The diving plant and equipment, and other facilities while the diver is under, entering, or leaving the water, and
• Any hyperbaric chamber and its associated equipment.

The employer must make sure that a Class A (double lock) hyperbaric chamber that is in operable condition is on site for all deep diving operations.

When more than 1 deep diving operation in a 24-hour period is planned, the employer must make sure that there are enough divers and stand-by divers to make sure when either is about to begin a dive that they have not been exposed to abnormal external pressure on the body for a 12-hour period before the dive.

When diving from a closed ball, the employer must make sure that there are at least 2 divers, one is the stand-by diver who tends the diver from the bell.

The employer must make sure an open diving bell, submersible compression chamber, or a lock-out submersible is provided and used for the transport of the diver to the underwater work area whenever the pressure dives exceed the following limits:

The diving supervisor must make sure the submersible compression chamber or lock-out submersible is able to mate with a Class A (double-lock type) hyperbaric chamber to allow the transfer of personnel under pressure when the bottom time and depth is greater than those listed above, or the depth is more than 90 metres.

The employer and diving supervisor must make sure that diving activities are not carried out at depths more than 55 metres, unless:

• The diver is transported through the air-water boundary by a suitable submersible compression chamber, open diving bell, or stage,
• The stand-by diver is located at the surface or in the stage,
• All divers and stand-by divers are in voice communication with each other and the attendants at the diving station, and
• The attendants have a way to monitor the depth of the diver and the pressures of the breathing medium being supplied to each diver and stand-by diver.

When bounce or non-saturation diving techniques are used, the employer and diving supervisor must make sure that the diver does not remain submerged for more than a total of three hours in a 24-hour period, and that there is a rest period of at least 12 continuous hours after this limit is reached.

When saturation diving techniques are used, the employer and diving supervisor must make sure that:

• When the dive is 150 metres or less, no diver works longer than 4 hours in the water and 4 hours as an attendant in the submersible compression chamber,
• When the dive is more than 150 metres, no diver works longer than 3 hours in the water and 3 hours as an attendant in the submersible compression chamber, and
• In any 24-hour period, there is a rest period of at least 12 continuous hours after these times are reached.

The diving supervisor must make sure that a diver does not begin another dive within 14 days after completing a decompression after a saturation dive unless approved by a medical practitioner.

The diving supervisor must make sure that a diver:

• Is tethered to the work base by a breathing mixture umbilical,
• Is provided with effective two-way voice communication, and
• Is tended by a tender on the surface, a tender in a submersible chamber or stage (if one is used), or another diver in the water who is connected to the diver and is tended.

When a submersible compression chamber is used, the diving supervisor must make sure that at least one diver remains in the chamber to monitor a diver who has left the chamber.

General Regulation - Occupational Health and Safety Act
N.B. Reg. 91-191

Part XX UNDERWATER DIVING OPERATIONS

Section 300

300. In this Part

"atmospheric diving system" means a diving system in which the external pressure on the body of the diver using the system is normal atmospheric pressure;

"bail-out system" means an independent breathing-gas supply or breathing mixture carried by a diver that is of sufficient quantity to return the diver to the surface, a diving bell or an emergency breathing-gas supply or breathing mixture in the event of a malfunction of the primary breathing-gas supply or breathing mixture;

"bottom time" means the total elapsed time measured in minutes from the time a descending diver leaves the surface to the time the diver begins final ascent, rounded to the next whole minute;

"compressed air environment" means an environment in which respirable gases are breathed at a pressure above normal atmospheric pressure;

"decompression schedule" means the procedure detailed in an appropriate decompression table to be followed by a diver during ascent from depth in order to minimize the risk of decompression sickness;

"decompression sickness" means an illness caused by the formation of gas bubbles in the blood or body tissues as a result of pressure reduction;

"deep diving" means any mode of diving to a depth greater than 55 m;

"diver" means a person who performs work under water for compensation;

"diving bell" means a surface-tethered structure that can accommodate one or more divers under water;

"diving plant and equipment" means all plant and equipment used in an underwater diving operation that form part of the life-support system of a diver;

"diving supervisor" means a person designated by an employer under section 307;

"dressed-in" means that a diver is fully equipped to dive and is ready to enter the water, with all life-support and communications equipment tested and at hand, but not necessarily with the helmet, face plate or face mask in place;

"hyperbaric chamber" means a pressure vessel with a design pressure of 690 kPa that complies with the requirements of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Act and that is designed for the purpose of subjecting humans to greater than atmospheric pressure, and includes associated equipment;

"lock-out submersible" means a self-propelled submersible compression chamber from which a diving operation can be carried out and that has a separate one-atmosphere chamber from which the submersible compression chamber is piloted;

"mixed gas" means a respirable breathing mixture, other than the normal proportions of respirable air, that provides sufficient oxygen to support life and does not cause detrimental physiological effects such as excessive breathing resistance or impairment of neurological function;

"no decompression limit" means, with respect to a decompression schedule in use for the depth and duration of a dive, that no decompression stop is required during the ascent from depth of a diver;

"open diving bell" means a diving bell designed so as not to be operated with a differential pressure across the hull;

"saturation diving" means a technique of diving in which the decompression schedule used allows a bottom time of unlimited duration;

"SCUBA" means self-contained underwater breathing apparatus with open-circuit compressed air;

"stage" means a cage, basket or platform in which a diver may be lowered to or raised from a work area;

"stand-by diver" means a diver who is dressed-in and who is trained and equipped to operate at the depths and the circumstances in which a submerged diver is operating for the purpose of rendering assistance to the submerged diver in the event of an emergency;

"submersible compression chamber" means a hyperbaric chamber designed for transporting a diver at atmospheric pressure or at an elevated pressure from the surface to an underwater work area and from the underwater work site to the surface;

"surface-supply diving" means a diving technique in which a diver is supplied from the dive location with a breathing mixture by way of an umbilical;

"tender" means a person who tends a diver;

"therapeutic recompression" means treatment of a diver in a compressed air environment in accordance with CSA approved practice or medical direction to treat decompression symptoms and decompression sickness;

"umbilical" means a composite cable or separate cables that extend from the surface to a diver or to the pressure vessel of occupancy of the diver and that provide a breathing mixture, power, heat or communication as may be required;

"underwater diving operation" means work performed underwater for commercial, industrial, construction or environmental purposes and includes the underwater inspection, alteration, repair or maintenance of equipment, machinery, structures or ships and the salvage of sunken property of a commercial or industrial nature.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 40]

Section 301 Medical Requirements

301. (1) An employer shall ensure that each diver has a current medical certification from a medical practitioner, before commencing an underwater diving operation.

(2) A diver shall, before commencing an underwater diving operation, supply a copy of the diver's current medical certification to the employer.

(3) A diver shall ensure that the diver's medical certification

(a) is established before entering into employment as a diver,

(b) is renewed every two years,

(c) is renewed more frequently than required under paragraph (b) if clinically indicated, and

(d) is re-evaluated by a medical practitioner if the diver is subjected to an event or has a physical condition that may affect the diver's medical status.

(4) An employer shall ensure that a copy of each diver's current medical certification is kept at the dive site.

(5) A diver shall undergo such medical examinations as an employer or diving supervisor may require for the purpose of ensuring the diver is physically fit to dive.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 103]

Section 302

302. (1) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver does not dive when, in the opinion of the diving supervisor, the diver is not capable of functioning safely and effectively under water.

(2) A diver shall notify the diving supervisor if the diver has reason to believe that the diver is unfit to dive.

Section 303

303. (1) A diver shall wear a registered medical alert tag or bracelet to indicate the possibility of decompression sickness or other pressure-related illness for at least twenty-four hours after each dive requiring a decompression stop or where the decompression schedule in use for the depth and duration of a dive has not been followed.

(2) A medical alert tag or bracelet referred to in subsection (1) shall be registered with an agency that has facilities for twenty- four hour reference and shall bear the name and telephone number of the agency.

Section 304 Diver Training

304.(1) An employer shall obtain from a diver and retain during the diver's employment, documentary evidence that the diver has successfully completed an appropriate diver training course or has appropriate training and experience with respect to the dive being contemplated.

(2) An employer shall ensure that a diver is trained to the minimum level as set out in subsection 8(2) of New Brunswick Regulation 2004-130 under the Act and holds a valid certificate issued by an agency referred to in subsection 8(3) of that Regulation in respect of that training.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-79, s. 89]

Section 305 Diver's Log Book

305. (1) A diver shall maintain, and keep for five years after completion, a log book that records all dives carried out, all therapeutic recompressions and other exposures to a compressed air environment and all medical examinations.

(2) A diver shall record the following information for each dive carried out:

(a) name of employer;

(b) name of diving supervisor;

(c) type of diving apparatus used;

(d) breathing mixture or breathing gas used;

(e) time left surface;

(f) bottom time;

(g) maximum depth attained;

(h) time left bottom;

(i) time reached surface;

(j) surface interval, if a repeat dive was undertaken;

(k) decompression table used;

(l) date;

(m) name of the tender; and

(n) remarks, if any.

(3) For dives originating from a diving bell or other submerged base, a diver shall record the time of leaving the bell or base, the greatest depth attained, the time of return to the bell or base and the depth of the bell or base in addition to the information required under subsection (2).

(4) A diver shall ensure that in the log book referred to in subsection (1)

(a) the entry required for each dive is signed by the diving supervisor,

(b) an entry for therapeutic recompression or other exposure to a compressed air environment is signed by the attending medical practitioner or diving supervisor, and

(c) the entry for a medical examination is supported by a certificate signed by the medical practitioner who performed the examination.

(5) A diver shall keep in the log book either

(a) a certificate confirming the diver's successful completion of an appropriate diver training course, or

(b) a record of the diver's previous relevant training and experience.

Section 306 Diving Supervisor's Daily Record

306. (1) A diving supervisor shall keep a daily record of each dive separate from the diver's log book.

(2) A diving supervisor shall record the information required under subsections 305(2) and (3) in the daily record and shall keep a copy of a diver's current medical certification.

(3) A diving supervisor shall file the daily record with the employer who shall retain the daily record for five years and make it available to an officer on request.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 105]

Section 307 Planning a Dive

307. Unless otherwise provided, an employer shall designate a competent person who meets the qualifications under section 304 and who has a minimum of five years diving experience to supervise an underwater diving operation.

Section 308

308. A diving supervisor's duties shall include

(a) planning the dive or dives in detail,

(b) briefing the crew,

(c) ensuring that all necessary equipment is provided and is in good operating condition,

(d) supervising the entire diving operation, and

(e) instructing the crew in emergency procedures.

Section 309

309. A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver

(a) is competent in the use of the diving apparatus to be used, and

(b) understands the signals and procedures to be used.

Section 310

310. An employer shall ensure that a plan of an underwater diving operation is discussed and accepted by the diving supervisor, the divers and the employer.

Section 311 Preparation for a Dive

311. Before commencing an underwater diving operation, a diving supervisor shall ensure that all diving plant and equipment is in good operating condition.

Section 312

312. (1) Immediately before each dive, a diver shall check for all the required equipment and ensure that the equipment is properly fastened in place and is functioning properly.

(2) Before descent, a diver shall repeat in the water the check required by subsection (1).

Section 313

313. (1) An employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that when an underwater diving operation is in progress, warning devices such as buoys, diver's flags, lights, lamps or flares are displayed to define the limits to be kept clear of by any equipment other than that connected with the operation.

(2) A diving supervisor shall take precautions to prevent a hazard to a diver from a barge, scow or vessel in or near the diving area.

Section 314 Diving Hazards

314. (1) Immediately before each dive, a diving supervisor shall review the nature of the hazards in the diving area and ensure that each diver fully understands the hazards involved.

(2) A diving supervisor shall declare underwater approaches to an intake or an exhaust a hazardous area for an underwater diving operation.

(3) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver

(a) in a hazardous area wears at all times a life line tended from a position outside the hazardous area,

(b) required to approach an underwater intake, exhaust, pipe, tunnel or duct is able to differentiate it from any other similar object in the area, and

(c) does not approach an intake or exhaust until the flow through it is, in the case of an intake, arrested and locked out, or, in the case of an exhaust, slowed down, to the extent it is safe for a diver to work near the intake or exhaust and provisions are made so that the flow will not be re-established until the diver leaves the water or is declared by the diving supervisor to be clear of the hazardous area.

(4) Before a diver approaches an area that may be hazardous because of the operation of a mechanism, a diving supervisor shall ensure that the mechanism is

(a) secured against inadvertent movement before the diver enters the water, and

(b) rendered inoperative and prevented from being activated by isolating the energy source from the mechanism in a manner suitable to the diver and the diving supervisor.

(5) Where exceptional hazards exist or are predicted, an employer and a diving supervisor shall ensure that a second diving crew with independent diving plant and equipment capable of effecting rescue is on the site of the underwater diving operation.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 106]

Section 315 Use of Explosives

315. (1) Where an explosive is used in an underwater diving operation, the provisions of Part XII apply.

(2) A blaster shall control the initiation of all underwater charges.

(3) Before an underwater charge is fired, a diving supervisor shall ensure that

(a) the area is cleared,

(b) all divers are out of the water and at a safe distance from the blast, and

(c) the diving boat is moved to a safe distance from the blast area as determined by the blaster supervising the blasting operation.

(4) Before firing a charge, a blaster shall check with the diving supervisor and obtain the diving supervisor's approval for firing the charge.

[N.B. Reg. 93-8, s. 25]

Section 316 Contingency Planning

316. (1) This section does not apply to an underwater diving operation using SCUBA.

(2) Before an underwater diving operation begins, an employer shall arrange for a medical practitioner familiar with the medical problems associated with diving to be readily available during the period of the dive and for a twenty-four hour period afterward.

(3) An employer shall arrange for the use of a back-up hyperbaric chamber suitable for the depth of the underwater diving operation being carried out.

Section 317

317. An employer and a diving supervisor shall ensure that a stand-by diver is present at all times while an underwater diving operation is in progress.

Section 318 Breathing Mixtures

318. (1) This section does not apply to a diver using SCUBA.

(2) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver engaged in an underwater diving operation has

(a) a sufficient amount of an appropriate breathing mixture, including a reserve supply two and one-half times greater than that required for the operation,

(b) suitable diving plant and equipment for supplying the breathing mixture to the diver at a proper temperature, pressure and flow rate,

(c) an additional reserve supply of the appropriate breathing mixture sufficient for seventy-two hours duration with necessary diving plant and equipment when a submersible compression chamber is being used, and

(d) an appropriate breathing mixture in the bail-out system carried by the diver.

(3) An employer shall provide and a diving supervisor shall ensure that there is an appropriate breathing mixture in a quantity sufficient for the time needed by a stand-by diver to reach the submerged diver in the event of an emergency and for them to

(a) return to the surface and carry out the appropriate decompression procedures during the return, or

(b) return to a submersible compression chamber and then to surface in the chamber and start the appropriate decompression procedures at the surface.

(4) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a breathing mixture meets the air composition and air purity standards prescribed in clause 3.8 of CSA standard CAN/CSA Z275.2-92, "Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations".

(5) A diving supervisor shall ensure that

(a) breathing air supplied to a diver meets the requirements of CSA standard CAN3-Z180.1-M85, "Compressed Breathing Air and Systems", and

(b) breathing gas or air is discharged through adequate filters into a tank or receiver of suitable volume.

(6) A diving supervisor shall ensure that when a mixed gas is used, the decompression schedule followed is appropriate for the mixed gas used.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 107]

Section 319

319. A diving supervisor and an employer shall ensure that no diver breathes, and no diver shall breathe, pure oxygen while submerged at depths greater than 7.5 m except when following a decompression schedule or for therapeutic purposes.

Section 320 Decompression

320. (1) A diving supervisor shall ensure that underwater diving operations, repetitive dives and treatment of divers are carried out in strict accordance with appropriate decompression schedules and decompression tables.

(2) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a double-lock Class A hyperbaric chamber in operable condition is on site for the exclusive use of divers engaged in an underwater diving operation before the operation begins whenever

(a) a planned dive exceeds the no decompression limit, or

(b) the depth of 40 m is exceeded.

(3) A diving supervisor shall ensure that the hyperbaric chamber required by subsection (2) conforms to and is operated in accordance with CSA standard Z275.1-93, "Hyperbaric Facilities".

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 108]

Section 321

321. (1) When a diver shows any indication of pressure-related illness, a diving supervisor shall ensure that treatment is initiated and the medical practitioner referred to in subsection 316(2) is alerted immediately.

(2) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver who has suffered a pressure-related illness does not dive unless approval for further diving is given by a medical practitioner.

(3) A diving supervisor shall ensure that on completion of decompression, a diver remains under observation and in the general area of the hyperbaric chamber for such period of time as the diving supervisor believes is necessary for the diver's welfare.

Section 322 Diving Equipment

322. (1) An employer and a diving supervisor shall ensure that all diving plant and equipment, including breathing apparatus, compressors, compressed gas cylinders, gas control valves, pressure gauges, reserve gas-supply devices, piping, helmets, winches, cables, diving bells, stages and all accessories necessary for the safe conduct of the underwater diving operation, is

(a) of design meeting the standards of CSA or standards equivalent to those of CSA for the item in question, of sound construction, of adequate strength, free from patent defect and maintained in a condition that will ensure its continuing operating integrity for the purpose and depths for which it was originally designed or subsequently used,

(b) protected against malfunction at low temperatures that may be caused by ambient air or water or the expansion of gas, and

(c) used in an unmodified form unless the modification is specifically certified or approved by the manufacturer.

(2) A supplier of diving plant and equipment used in an underwater diving operation shall ensure that

(a) the diving plant and equipment is examined, tested, overhauled and repaired in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended procedures,

(b) gauges and metering equipment on diving equipment are checked every six months or whenever a discrepancy is observed, whichever occurs first, and

(c) defective diving equipment is removed from service until repaired.

(3) An employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that defective diving plant and equipment is removed from service until repaired.

Section 323

323. (1) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a compressor used to supply compressed air to a diver

(a) is capable of maintaining a supply of air equal to at least double the volume of air required and at a pressure 25% greater than the maximum pressure in the air tank or receiver,

(b) operates automatically without undue fluctuation of pressure in the air tank or receiver, and

(c) has tanks, fixtures and fittings meeting the appropriate requirements of CSA standard B51-97, "Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping Code".

(2) An employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that a compressor referred to in subsection (1) is operated by a competent person.

(3) The competent person referred to in subsection (2) shall ensure that the equipment needed to supply air to the diver is in good working order.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 109]

Section 324

324. A diving supervisor shall ensure that there is a second source of power for the diving plant and equipment, in the event of failure of the primary source, capable of

(a) being rapidly brought on line,

(b) operating the handling system for the submersible compression chamber,

(c) heating the diving plant and equipment, including heating for any diver in the water,

(d) sustaining life-support systems for a submersible compression chamber and any diver in the water,

(e) illuminating the work area of a diver and the interior of a submersible compression chamber and dive station, and

(f) operating communication and monitoring systems.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 41]

Section 325

325. Where oxygen is used in diving plant and equipment, a diving supervisor shall ensure that

(a) the use of hoses in place of piping to carry or hold oxygen is kept to a minimum,

(b) hoses and fittings are constructed of material compatible with oxygen at the operating pressure and temperature,

(c) high flow velocities of oxygen through a hose are such that the differential pressure along a hose does not exceed 700 kPa,

(d) quick-opening valves are not used except for emergency shut-off at the point of penetration of a hyperbaric chamber hull, and

(e) portable compressed gas containers containing oxygen are stored, handled and used in accordance with sections 74 to 79.

Section 326

326. A diving supervisor shall ensure that a life line used by a diver is

(a) secured at the surface to a safe anchor point,

(b) tended at all times by a tender,

(c) secured in a manner that will prevent loss of contact with the diver,

(d) attached to the diver's safety harness, and

(e) of sufficient length without knots or splices.

[N.B. Reg. 2010-159, s. 42]

Section 327

327. A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver wears a diving safety harness complete with lifting ring at all times when diving.

Section 328 Communication with Diver

328. (1) An employer shall provide, and a diving supervisor shall ensure use of, a means of effective two-way communication between a diver and any person in control of the diving plant and equipment.

(2) Where two-way voice communication is required, an employer shall provide

(a) a standard of sound reproduction that enables the diver's breathing to be heard clearly,

(b) a suitable means of voice-unscrambling when the breathing mixture used significantly distorts sound transmission, and

(c) a recording system for voice communication for depths exceeding 55 m.

Section 329

329. A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver using surface-maintained diving equipment knows and understands the following international hand signals:

(a) from the diver:

(i) 1 pull means "I am all right";

(ii) 2 pulls mean "Lower or give me slack";

(iii) 3 pulls mean "I am coming up" or "Take up slack";

(iv) 4 pulls mean "Haul me up";

(v) 5 pulls mean "Send me a rope";

(vi) 2-1 pulls mean "I understand" or "Answer the intercom"; and

(vii) 3-2 pulls mean "More air";

(b) from the tender:

(i) 1 pull means "Are you all right?" except when the diver is being either raised or lowered when 1 pull means "Stop";

(ii) 2 pulls mean "You have come too far. Go back down until I stop you";

(iii) 3 pulls mean "Stand by to come up";

(iv) 4 pulls mean "Come up, emergency recall"; and

(v) 2-1 pulls mean "I understand" or "Answer the intercom"; and

(c) emergency signals from the diver:

(i) 2 pulls repeated several times indicates that the diver is fouled and a stand-by diver is to be sent down immediately;

(ii) 3 pulls repeated several times indicates that the diver is fouled but is able to clear themselves if left alone; and

(iii) 4 pulls repeated several times indicates a serious emergency and the tender is to haul the diver up to the surface.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 42]

Section 330 Equipment for a Diving Base on the Surface

330. A diving supervisor shall ensure that when diving is in progress a diving base on the surface is equipped with

(a) if SCUBA is being used, one complete spare set of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus with fully charged cylinders to be used for emergency purposes only,

(b) a shot-line of 19 mm manila or material of equivalent strength, of sufficient length to reach the bottom at the maximum depth of the work area,

(c) a first-aid kit that meets the requirements of section 12,

(d) a stretcher and blankets,

(e) one complete set of decompression tables appropriate for the dive,

(f) a sufficient quantity of hot beverage for the divers, and

(g) such other material or equipment as may be specified by an officer.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 43]

Section 331 Transportation through Air-Water Interface

331. (1) A diving supervisor shall ensure that diving activities are not carried out from a diving station located more than 5 m above water unless the divers are transported through the air-water interface by a suitable submersible compression chamber, stage or open diving bell.

(2) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a hoisting device used to raise or lower a diver into the water is not used for any other purpose until after the diver is in position.

(3) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a hoisting device used to raise or lower a submersible compression chamber, stage or open diving bell is

(a) so constructed that a brake is automatically applied when the control lever, handle or switch is not held in the operating position, and

(b) not fitted with a pawl-and-ratchet gear on which the pawl has to be disengaged before commencing raising or lowering operations.

(4) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a stage required under subsection (1)

(a) is provided to transport a diver to an underwater work area where the depths are shallower than 55 m,

(b) is large enough to carry at least two divers with their diving equipment and associated equipment in uncramped conditions,

(c) is secure against tipping and spinning,

(d) does not contain any equipment that might interfere with a diver's foothold or handhold, and

(e) is so constructed or equipped that the divers are secure against falling out of the stage.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 44]

Section 332 Open Diving Bells

332. An employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that an open diving bell

(a) is of sufficient size to accommodate all submerged divers,

(b) provides adequate emergency breathing mixture for the safe decompression of divers in an emergency,

(c) contains adequate equipment, protected against inadvertent operation, for supplying the appropriate breathing mixture to persons occupying or working from the chamber,

(d) is equipped with a voice communication system whereby conversation may be maintained with persons at the diving station, with surface supervisory personnel and with divers outside the chamber,

(e) contains equipment for lighting,

(f) contains first-aid equipment that meets the requirements of section 12 and lifting equipment sufficient to enable an unconscious or injured diver to be hoisted into the chamber by a person located in the chamber,

(g) contains a stretcher and blankets,

(h) is used in association with lifting gear that enables the chamber to be lowered to the depth at which the diving operations are to be carried out without excessive lateral, vertical or rotational movement taking place,

(i) is provided with a means whereby in the event of a failure of the main lifting gear, the chamber can be returned to the surface, and

(j) limits the diver's umbilical to 30 m.

Section 333 Submersible Compression Chambers

333. (1) Where a submersible compression chamber is used, an employer shall ensure that the submersible compression chamber conforms to the requirements of CSA standard Z275.1-93 , "Hyperbaric Facilities".

(2) An employer shall ensure that a submersible compression chamber

(a) is equipped to permit the transfer of personnel under pressure into or from the surface hyperbaric chamber,

(b) is of a design that

(i) enables divers to enter and exit without difficulty, and

(ii) allows at least two divers who are equipped and dressed for the diving operation to be seated within,

(c) is equipped with doors and hatches that act as pressure seals and may be opened from either side, and

(d) is equipped with such valves, gauges and other fittings as necessary to control the internal pressure and to indicate clearly the internal and external pressures inside the chamber and at the diving station.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 111]

Section 334

334. A diving supervisor shall ensure that no underwater diving operation is conducted from a lock-out submersible unless

(a) the submersible is negatively buoyant on the bottom or positively secured to the underwater work area,

(b) there is a stand-by diver monitoring the operation from the lock-out submersible, and

(c) the diver's umbilical is limited to 30 m.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 45]

Section 335

335. An employer shall ensure that no underwater diving operation is conducted from a lock-out submersible unless the diving supervisor is on board the submersible and present in the one-atmosphere chamber during all external diving operations.

Section 336 Atmospheric Diving Systems

336. (1) Where an atmospheric diving system is used, a diving supervisor shall locate the nearest back-up atmospheric diving system unit or other unit with sufficient depth capabilities to effect a rescue and shall arrange for its use in the event of an emergency.

(2) A diving supervisor shall ensure that an atmospheric diving system is not used unless the on-board reserve life-support system will sustain life for the period of time that would enable the back- up unit required by subsection (1) to reach the site of the underwater diving operation and conduct rescue operations.

(3) Where an atmospheric diving system is used, an employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that a contingency plan is prepared for dealing with

(a) deteriorating weather and ice conditions during a dive,

(b) the inability of surface craft to maintain station,

(c) the failure of any major component of diving plant and equipment, and

(d) any other circumstances that may reasonably be anticipated.

Section 337 Scuba Diving

337. (1) An employer shall not employ a diver using SCUBA

(a) on an underwater construction project,

(b) where diving in a confined space,

(c) where underwater power tools are used,

(d) where water currents, visibility, weather conditions or underwater conditions present hazards to a diver that could be alleviated if the diver were using surface-supplied air,

(e) where the diving environment is contaminated,

(f) where there is danger of entrapment, or

(g) where the depth of the dive may exceed 30 m.

(2) An employer shall ensure that at least three persons are present on each dive site where a diver is using SCUBA, one of whom is the diver, one a stand-by diver and one a competent person.

(3) A diving supervisor is not required to be present at a dive site referred to in subsection (2).

Section 338

338. (1) An employer shall ensure that a diver using SCUBA uses the following equipment appropriate to the conditions:

(a) an open-circuit demand apparatus with quick-release harness, a reserve device or a bail-out system;

(b) a face mask;

(c) swimming fins for the feet;

(d) a snorkel or breathing tube for surface swimming;

(e) a suitable knife;

(f) a weight belt with a quick-release closure;

(g) a submersible pressure gauge;

(h) an exposure suit or protective clothing appropriate for the conditions of work and the temperature of the water;

(i) a manually inflatable buoyancy device;

(j) an underwater watch with elapsed-time indicator; and

(k) a device for summoning aid from the surface while submerged.

(2) An employer shall ensure that a diver using SCUBA uses

(a) a life line that meets the requirements of section 326, and

(b) a means of effective two-way communication so that the diver is able to summon immediate assistance from the surface and the surface crew can effectively recall a submerged diver at any time.

Section 339

339. An employer shall ensure that each SCUBA cylinder is

(a) hydrostatically tested and stamped at least every five years by an appropriate agency in accordance with CSA standard CAN/CSA Z275.2-92 , "Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations",

(b) visually inspected internally and externally at least once every year and labelled with a decal affixed securely to the cylinder stating the month and year of inspection by an appropriate agency in accordance with CSA standard CAN/CSA Z275.2-92, "Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations",

(c) not filled unless paragraphs (a) and (b) have been complied with,

(d) when showing visual signs of damage, not filled until it has been tested and inspected in accordance with paragraphs (a) and (b) immediately before being filled,

(e) not filled unless it is securely blocked, lashed and preferably immersed in a protective tank of water,

(f) only filled with air meeting the minimum requirements of the CSA standard CAN3-Z180.1-M85, "Compressed Breathing Air and Systems",

(g) not subjected to temperatures in excess of 55°C,

(h) equipped with a safety reserve valve or equivalent in the regulator,

(i) transported in an upright position whenever possible,

(j) transported with the valves pointing toward the rear of the vehicle, if it cannot be transported upright, and

(k) securely tied or blocked during transit with the valves protected to prevent shear off.

[N.B. Reg. 2001-33, s. 113]

Section 340

340. Where SCUBA diving operations are carried on during the hours of darkness, an employer shall provide indicator devices such as rescue beacons or strobes for the diver's use.

Section 341 Surface-Supply Diving

341. (1) This section applies to a surface-supply diving operation.

(2) Where the planned depth of a dive does not exceed 30 m, an employer shall ensure that a minimum crew of three is present for each surface-supply diving operation consisting of

(a) a diver,

(b) a stand-by diver, and

(c) a tender.

(3) A diving supervisor is not required for a dive referred to in subsection (2).

(4) Where the planned depth of a dive exceeds 30 m, an employer shall ensure that a minimum crew of four is present for each surface-supply diving operation consisting of

(a) a diver,

(b) a stand-by diver,

(c) a tender, and

(d) a diving supervisor who does not enter the water.

(5) An employer shall ensure that a stationary air-line used in a surface-supply diving operation

(a) is properly safeguarded against injury or interference,

(b) has a valve fitted in each diver's air-line that is

(i) readily accessible,

(ii) guarded against interference,

(iii) clearly marked to identify the diver whose air supply it controls, and

(iv) under the care of a competent person,

(c) is fitted with a pressure gauge downstream of the supply valve installed so that the dial figures are in clear and unobstructed view of the tender or diving supervisor, and

(d) is of sufficient length to provide for emergency difficulties of the diver.

(6) Where surface-supplied equipment is designed to be used with a bail-out system, an employer shall ensure that a diver wears the bail-out system.

(7) An employer shall ensure that non-return valves are fitted to all diving helmets and surface-supplied masks and the non-return valves are checked before the commencement of diving operations in accordance with the supplier's recommendations.

(8) An employer shall ensure that a diver's umbilical is taped to a life line at 1 m intervals in such a manner that strain due to tension on the life line does not create tension on the umbilical.

(9) An employer shall ensure that a surface-supplied diver has effective two-way voice communication with the surface.

(10) An employer shall ensure that when a diver is in the water, a vessel or platform is anchored at or near the diving operation or that there is a diving platform, skip, pier or facility that is seaworthy and of sufficient size to accommodate safely the diving crew and equipment.

Section 342 Deep Diving

342. (1) This section applies to a deep diving operation.

(2) An employer shall ensure that a minimum crew of five is present for each diving operation consisting of

(a) a diving supervisor,

(b) two divers, one of whom is a stand-by diver, and,

(c) two tenders.

(3) An employer shall ensure that there are a sufficient number of competent persons to operate

(a) the diving plant and equipment and other facilities while a diver is under, entering or leaving the water, and

(b) any hyperbaric chamber required and its associated equipment.

(4) When more than one deep diving operation in a twenty-four hour period is planned, an employer shall ensure that there are a sufficient number of divers and stand-by divers to ensure that a diver or stand-by diver about to commence a dive has not been exposed to abnormal external pressure on the body for the twelve hour period before the dive.

(5) An employer shall ensure that at least two divers are used when diving from a closed bell, one of whom shall be the stand-by diver and who shall tend the diver from the bell.

(6) An employer shall ensure that a Class A (double-lock) hyperbaric chamber in operable condition is on site for all deep diving operations.

(7) An employer shall ensure that an open diving bell, submersible compression chamber or lock-out submersible is provided and used for the transport of the diver to the underwater work area whenever pressure dives exceed the following limits:

Table

(8) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a submersible compression chamber or lock-out submersible capable of mating to a Class A (double-lock type) hyperbaric chamber for the transfer of personnel under pressure is used where the bottom time and depth exceeds the limits given in subsection (7) or the depth is in excess of 90 m.

(9) An employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that diving activities are not carried out at water depths greater than 55 m unless

(a) a diver is transported through the air-water interface by a suitable submersible compression chamber, open diving bell or stage,

(b) the stand-by diver referred to in subsection (2) is located at the surface or in the stage,

(c) all divers and stand-by divers are in voice communication with each other and with the attendants at the diving station, and

(d) the attendants at the diving station have a means of monitoring the depth of the diver and the pressures of the breathing medium being supplied to each diver and stand-by diver.

(10) Where bounce or non-saturation diving techniques are used, an employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that no diver remains submerged for a total period of time in excess of three hours in a twenty-four hour period and that there is a rest period of at least twelve continuous hours after this limit is reached.

(11) Where saturation diving techniques are used, an employer and a diving supervisor shall each ensure that

(a) where the dive is to a depth of 150 m or less, no diver exceeds four hours in the water and four hours as attendant in the submersible compression chamber,

(b) where the dive is deeper than 150 m, no diver exceeds three hours in the water and three hours as attendant in the submersible compression chamber, and

(c) in any twenty-four hour period, there is a rest period of at least twelve continuous hours after the time limit specified in subsection (a) or (b) is reached.

(12) A diving supervisor shall ensure that no diver commences another dive within fourteen days after completion of decompression after a saturation dive unless with the approval of a medical practitioner.

(13) A diving supervisor shall ensure that a diver

(a) is tethered to the work base by a breathing mixture umbilical,

(b) is provided with effective two-way voice communication, and

(c) is tended by

(i) a tender on the surface,

(ii) a tender in a submersible chamber or stage if one is used in the diving operation, or

(iii) another diver in the water who is connected to the diver and is tended.

(14) Where a submersible compression chamber is used, a diving supervisor shall ensure that at least one diver remains in the chamber to monitor a diver who has left the chamber.

[N.B. Reg. 2022-27, s. 47]