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381 Subpart B—Commercial Diving Operations

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381 Subpart B—Commercial Diving Operations Coast Guard, DHS § 197.204 Subpart B—Commercial Diving § 197.203 Right of appeal. Operations Any person directly affected by a de- cision or action taken under this sub- GENERAL chapter, by or on behalf of the Coast Guard, may appeal therefrom in ac- § 197.200 Purpose of subpart. cordance with subpart 1.03 of this chap- This subpart prescribes rules for the ter. design, construction, and use of equip- [CGD 88–033, 54 FR 50382, Dec. 6, 1989] ment, and inspection, operation, and safety and health standards for com- § 197.204 Definitions. mercial diving operations taking place As used in this subpart: from vessels and facilities under Coast ACFM means actual cubic feet per Guard jurisdiction. minute. § 197.202 Applicability. ANSI Code1 means the B31.1 Amer- ican National Standards Institute (a) This subpart applies to commer- ‘‘Code for Pressure Piping, Power Pip- cial diving operations taking place at ing.’’ any deepwater port or the safety zone ASME Code means the American So- thereof as defined in 33 CFR part 150; ciety of Mechanical Engineers ‘‘Boiler from any artificial island, installation, and Pressure Vessel Code.’’ or other device on the Outer Conti- ASME PVHO–1 means the ANSI/ nental Shelf and the waters adjacent ASME standard ‘‘Safety Standard for thereto as defined in 33 CFR part 147 or Pressure Vessels for Human Occu- otherwise related to activities on the pancy.’’ Outer Continental Shelf; and from all ATA means a measure of pressure ex- vessels required to have a certificate of pressed in terms of atmosphere abso- inspection issued by the Coast Guard lute (includes barometric pressure). including mobile offshore drilling units Bell means a compartment either at regardless of their geographic location, ambient pressure (open bell) or pressur- or from any vessel connected with a ized (closed bell) that allows the diver deepwater port or within the deepwater to be transported to and from the un- port safety zone, or from any vessel en- derwater work site, allows the diver ac- gaged in activities related to the Outer cess to the surrounding environment, Continental Shelf; except that this sub- and is capable of being used as a refuge part does not apply to any diving oper- during diving operations. ation— Bottom time means the total elapsed (1) Performed solely for marine sci- time measured in minutes from the entific research and development pur- time the diver leaves the surface in de- poses by educational institutions; scent to the time to the next whole (2) Performed solely for research and minute that the diver begins ascent. development for the advancement of Breathing gas/breathing mixture means diving equipment and technology; or the mixed-gas, oxygen, or air as appro- (3) Performed solely for search and priate supplied to the diver for breath- rescue or related public safety purposes ing. by or under the control of a govern- Bursting pressure means the pressure mental agency. at which a pressure containment device (b) Diving operations may deviate would fail structurally. from the requirements of this subpart Commercial diver means a diver en- to the extent necessary to prevent or gaged in underwater work for hire ex- minimize a situation which is likely to cluding sport and recreational diving cause death, injury, or major environ- and the instruction thereof. mental damage. The circumstances Commercial diving operation means all leading to the situation, the deviations activities in support of a commercial made, and the corrective action taken, diver. if appropriate, to reduce the possibility Cylinder means a pressure vessel for of recurrence shall be recorded by the the storage of gases under pressure. diving supervisor in the logbook as re- Decompression chamber means a pres- quired by § 197.482(c). sure vessel for human occupancy such 381 VerDate Mar<15>2010 12:01 Nov 15, 2010 Jkt 220197 PO 00000 Frm 00391 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\220197.XXX 220197 jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with CFR § 197.204 46 CFR Ch. I (10–1–10 Edition) as a surface decompression chamber, Shelf subject to Coast Guard jurisdic- closed bell, or deep diving system espe- tion. cially equipped to recompress, decom- Fsw means feet of seawater (or equiv- press, and treat divers. alent static pressure head). Decompression sickness means a condi- Gas embolism means a condition tion caused by the formation of gas or caused by expanding gases, which have gas bubbles in the blood or body tissue been taken into and retained in the as a result of pressure reduction. lungs while breathing under pressure, Decompression table means a profile or being forced into the bloodstream or set of profiles of ascent rates and other tissues during ascent or decom- breathing mixtures designed to reduce pression. the pressure on a diver safely to atmos- Heavy-weight diving outfit means pheric pressure after the diver has been diver-worn surface-supplied deep-sea exposed to a specific depth and bottom dress. time. Hyperbaric conditions means pressure Depth means the maximum pressure conditions in excess of surface atmos- expressed in feet of seawater attained pheric pressure. by a diver and is used to express the Injurious corrosion means an advanced depth of a dive. state of corrosion which may impair Dive location means that portion of a the structural integrity or safe oper- vessel or facility from which a diving ation of the equipment. operation is conducted. Liveboating means the support of a surfaced-supplied diver from a vessel Dive team means the divers and diver underway. support personnel involved in a diving means the operation, including the diving super- Maximum working pressure maximum pressure to which a pressure visor. containment device can be exposed Diver means a person working be- under operating conditions (usually the neath the surface, exposed to pressure setting of the pressure relief hyperbaric conditions, and using un- device). derwater breathing apparatus. No-decompression limits means the air Diver-carried reserve breathing gas depth and bottom time limits of appen- means a supply of air or mixed-gas, as dix A. appropriate, carried by the diver in ad- Pressure vessel means a container ca- dition to the primary or secondary pable of withstanding an internal max- breathing gas supplied to the diver. imum working pressure over 15 psig. Diving installation means all of the Psi(g) means pounds per square inch equipment used in support of a com- (gage). mercial diving operation. PVHO means pressure vessel for Diving mode means a type of diving human occupancy but does not include requiring SCUBA, surface-supplied air, pressure vessels for human occupancy or surface-supplied mixed-gas equip- that may be subjected to external pres- ment, with related procedures and sures in excess of 15 psig but can only techniques. be subjected to maximum internal Diving stage means a suspended plat- pressures of 15 psig or less (i.e., form constructed to carry one or more submersibles, or one atmosphere obser- divers and used for putting divers into vation bells). the water and bringing them to the Saturation diving means saturating a surface when in-water decompression diver’s tissues with the inert gas in the or a heavy-weight diving outfit is used. breathing mixture to allow an exten- Diving supervisor means the person sion of bottom time without additional having complete responsibility for the decompression. safety of a commercial diving oper- SCUBA diving means a diving mode in ation including the responsibility for which the diver is supplied with a com- the safety and health of all diving per- pressed breathing mixture from diver sonnel in accordance with this subpart. carried equipment. Facility means a deepwater port, or Standby diver means a diver at the an artificial island, installation, or dive location available to assist a diver other device on the Outer Continental in the water. 382 VerDate Mar<15>2010 12:01 Nov 15, 2010 Jkt 220197 PO 00000 Frm 00392 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\220197.XXX 220197 jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with CFR Coast Guard, DHS § 197.300 Surface-supplied air diving means a 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY diving mode in which the diver is sup- 10017. plied from the dive location or bell [CGD 76–009, 43 FR 53683, Nov. 16, 1978, as with compressed breathing air includ- amended by CGD 96–041, 61 FR 50735, Sept. 27, ing oxygen or oxygen enriched air if 1996] supplied for treatment. Surface-supplied mixed-gas diving § 197.206 Substitutes for required means a diving mode in which the diver equipment, materials, apparatus, is supplied from the dive location or arrangements, procedures, or tests. bell with a compressed breathing mix- (a) The Coast Guard may accept sub- ture other than air. stitutes for equipment, materials, ap- Timekeeping device means a device for paratus, arrangements, procedures, or measuring the time of a dive in min- tests required in this subpart if the utes. substitute provides an equivalent level Treatment table means a depth, time, of safety. and breathing gas profile designed to (b) In any case where it is shown to treat a diver for decompression sick- the satisfaction of the Commandant ness. that the use of any particular equip- Umbilical means the hose bundle be- ment, material, apparatus, arrange- tween a dive location and a diver or ment, procedure, or test is unreason- bell, or between a diver and a bell, that able or impracticable, the Com- supplies the diver or bell with a life- mandant may permit the use of alter- line, breathing gas, communications, nate equipment, material, apparatus, power, and heat as appropriate to the arrangement, procedure, or test to diving mode or conditions. such an extent and upon such condition Vessel means any waterborne craft in- as will insure, to his satisfaction, a de- cluding mobile offshore drilling units gree of safety consistent with the min- required to have a Certificate of In- imum standards set forth in this sub- spection issued by the Coast Guard or part.
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