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Code of Practice 2018

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Code of Practice 2018 Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018 This Queensland code of practice has been approved by the Minister for Education and Industrial Relations under section 43 of the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011 and commences on 8 February 2018. PN12304 © The State of Queensland 2018 Copyright protects this document. The State of Queensland has no objection to this material being reproduced, but asserts its right to be recognised as author of the original material and the right to have the material unaltered. The material presented in this publication is distributed by the Queensland Government as an information source only. The State of Queensland makes no statements, representations, or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and the reader should not rely on it. The Queensland Government disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including, without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason. Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018 Page 2 of 63 Contents 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................6 1.1 What is Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling? .......6 1.2 Who has health and safety duties in relation to these activities? ...........................6 1.3 Risk management .................................................................................................7 2. Control measures that apply to all activities .................................................................7 2.1 Ensuring no persons are left behind ......................................................................8 2.2 Emergency plans ...................................................................................................9 2.3 Rescue of a person diving/snorkelling ...................................................................9 2.4 First aid and oxygen ............................................................................................ 10 2.5 Automated external defibrillators ......................................................................... 10 2.6 Risks from moving vessels .................................................................................. 10 2.7 Marine jellyfish stings .......................................................................................... 11 2.8 Entry and exit from water ..................................................................................... 11 3. Control measures for recreational diving and recreational technical diving ............ 11 3.1 Medical fitness ..................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Supervision of divers in open water ..................................................................... 13 3.3 Appropriate skills and knowledge ........................................................................ 17 3.4 Instruction and advice to non-English speaking persons ..................................... 19 3.5 Equipment for diving ............................................................................................ 20 3.6 Gas quality in gas cylinders ................................................................................. 22 3.7 Decompression management .............................................................................. 23 3.8 Diving depths....................................................................................................... 24 3.9 Ascent training ..................................................................................................... 24 3.10 Dive safety log ..................................................................................................... 24 3.11 Diver’s log ........................................................................................................... 25 4. Control measures for recreational snorkelling ........................................................... 26 4.1 Assessing snorkellers .......................................................................................... 26 4.2 Medical fitness ..................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Control measures for at risk snorkellers............................................................... 27 4.4 Supervision of snorkelling in open water.............................................................. 28 4.5 Appropriate skills and knowledge ........................................................................ 32 4.6 Instruction and advice to non-English speaking persons ..................................... 33 4.7 Equipment for snorkelling .................................................................................... 34 5. Recreational technical diving – additional requirements ........................................... 35 5.1 Recreational technical diving using EANx or mixed gas ...................................... 35 5.2 Decompression diving (using air or other gases) ................................................. 37 6. Additional guidance on certain matters ...................................................................... 38 6.1 Decompression illness ......................................................................................... 38 6.2 Nitrogen narcosis ................................................................................................ 39 6.3 Barotrauma ......................................................................................................... 39 6.4 Panic ................................................................................................................... 40 6.5 Marine stingers .................................................................................................... 40 6.6 Plant .................................................................................................................... 42 6.7 Noise ................................................................................................................... 42 6.8 Hazardous chemicals .......................................................................................... 43 6.9 Manual tasks ....................................................................................................... 44 6.10 Confined spaces .................................................................................................. 45 6.11 Workplace environment ....................................................................................... 46 Appendix 1: Example record for passive count system – headcount ........................... 48 Appendix 2: Sample medical declaration for resort diving ............................................ 49 Appendix 3: Medical declaration for entry-level certificate divers ................................ 50 Appendix 4: Body mass index chart ................................................................................ 53 Appendix 5: Sample method of providing advice about medical conditions to prospective recreational snorkellers ............................................................................... 54 Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018 Page 3 of 63 Appendix 6: Sample declaration form for a person who is identified as an at risk snorkeller ........................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix 7: Recreational diving and snorkelling compliance checklist ....................... 56 Appendix 8: Guidance material ........................................................................................ 60 Appendix 9: Dictionary ..................................................................................................... 61 Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018 Page 4 of 63 Foreword The Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018 (the code) is an approved code of practice under section 43 of the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011 (the SRWA Act). An approved code of practice is a practical guide to achieving the standards of health, safety and welfare required under the SRWA Act and the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Regulation 2011 (the SRWA Regulation). A code of practice applies to anyone who has a duty of care in the circumstances described in the code. In most cases, following an approved code of practice would achieve compliance with the health and safety duties in the SRWA Act, in relation to the subject matter of the code. Like regulations, codes of practice deal with particular issues and do not cover all hazards or risks which may arise. The health and safety duties require duty holders to consider all risks associated with the recreational activity, not only those for which regulations and codes of practice exist. Codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings under the SWRA Act and Regulation. Courts may regard a code of practice as evidence of what is known about a hazard, risk or control and may rely on the code in determining what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances to which the code relates. Compliance
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