Diving supervisor

A dive team listens to a safety brief from their dive supervisor

The diving supervisor is the professional diving team member who is directly responsible for the diving operation's safety and the management of any incidents or accidents that may occur during the operation; the supervisor is required to be available at the control point of the diving operation for the diving operation's duration.[1][2][3][4] Details of requirements and qualifications may differ depending on jurisdiction and relevant codes of practice. Diving supervisors are used in commercial diving, military diving, public safety diving and scientific diving operations.

The control point is the place where the supervisor can best monitor the status of the diver and progress of the dive. For scuba dives this is commonly on deck of the dive boat where there is a good view of the surface above the operational area, or on the shore at a nearby point where the divers can be seen when surfaced. For surface supplied diving, the view of the water is usually still necessary, and a view of the line tenders handling the umbilicals is also required, unless there is live video feed from the divers and two-way audio communications with the tenders. The control position also includes the gas panel and communications panel, so the supervisor can remain as fully informed as practicable of the status of the divers and their life support systems during the dive. For bell diving and saturation diving the situation is more complex and the control position may well be inside a compartment where the communications, control and monitoring equipment for the bell and life-support systems are set up.[5]

Responsibilities of the diving supervisor

The diving supervisor is the person legally responsible for the health and safety of the personnel engaged in a professional diving operation.[2]

The supervisor is appointed for a specific operation by the diving contractor, and has the following responsibilities during that operation:[2][6][7]

The supervisor cannot perform these duties while diving.

Logistics and planning

The diving supervisor may also be involved in diving project planning and logistics as an expert on the selection and deployment of diving equipment and personnel.

Training and qualifications

A candidate for training as a diving supervisor is generally selected from the divers employed by a contractor, as a competent diver of the class for which he or she will be trained to supervise, and a reliable person, suitable for taking the responsibility for the health and safety of the diving team and capable of managing the logistics of a diving operation. Training as a diving supervisor is generally carried out by commercial diver training schools, which are usually registered as training providers by a national or international quality assurance body or government department, such as the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) in Australia, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK[3] and the Department of Labour in South Africa.[2] The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) also registers diving supervisors for offshore work.[1]

Several classes of diving supervisor are recognized, associated with the various classes of commercial and other professional divers, and these can be roughly categorized as scuba supervisors,[2][8] surface supplied air supervisors,[2][8] surface orientated mixed gas supervisors[2][8] and saturation diving supervisors.[1][2][8]

Training standards and competence criteria are provided to indicate the competence requirements in various jurisdictions.[8][9]

Registration and appointment

National legislation may require the diving supervisor to be registered or licensed by a national or professional organisation.

The diving supervisor for a specific operation is appointed for that operation by the diving contractor. This appointment is a legal commitment by both contractor and supervisor, and the format may be prescribed. In many cases the supervisor may be appointed to supervise the contractor's diving operations as a general condition of employment, but the requirement to ensure that the supervisor is competent and fit to supervise any specific operation remains the responsibility of both contractor and supervisor. These requirements do not generally preclude hiring a supervisor as a subcontractor, but this does not generally transfer the responsibilities of the contractor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Staff (2002). Paul Williams, ed. The Diving Supervisor’s Manual (IMCA D 022 May 2000, incorporating the May 2002 erratum ed.). Carlyle House, 235 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1EJ, UK: International Marine Contractors' Association. ISBN 1-903513-00-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Diving Regulations 2009 of the South African Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993. Government notice R41, Government Gazette #32907 of 29 January 2010, Government Printer, Pretoria
  3. 1 2 Statutory Instruments 1997 No. 2776, HEALTH AND SAFETY, The Diving at Work Regulations 1997. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2776/introduction/made
  4. ↑ Staff (April 2009). NORSOK Standard U-100 : Manned underwater operations (PDF) (3 ed.). Lysaker , Norway: Standards Norway.
  5. ↑ Bevan, John, ed. (2005). The Professional Divers's Handbook (second ed.). 5 Nepean Close, Alverstoke, GOSPORT, Hampshire PO12 2BH: Submex Ltd. ISBN 978-0950824260.
  6. ↑ "12. Duties of Diving Supervisors". Ontario Regulation 629/94 – Diving Operations (32/14). 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2016 – via IHSA's Online Act and Regulations.
  7. ↑ Staff (February 2014). "3.3 Diving Supervisor". IMCA D014 International Code of Practice for Offshore Diving (PDF) (Revision 2 ed.). London, UK: International Marine Contractors Association. p. 8.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Technical Comittee on Diving and Caisson Systems: Subcomittee on Diver Training (July 2005). Shanahan, Dave, ed. Occupational diver training Z275.5-05. Mississauga, Ontario: Canadian Standards Association. pp. 42, 117, 221, 125, 135. ISBN 1-55397-858-7.
  9. ↑ "8.2 - Diving". Competence Assurance and Assessment: Guidance Document and Competence Tables. IMCA C 003 Rev.1. London, UK: International Marine Contractors Association. July 2003.
  10. ↑ Staff. "Dutch Certification system based on Norm 17024". General. Netherlands Diving Centre Certifying Institute. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
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