EUSAC Risk Assessment
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EUSAC Risk Assessment What are the hazards? Who might be harmed What are you already doing? Do you need to do Action by whom? Action by when? and how? anything else to manage this risk? Manual handling Musculoskeletal injuries Provide a demonstration of how to handle heavy dive No further action Committee Ongoing for all due to inexperience in equipment during training. necessary at this training and dive trips. handling heavy dive stage. Instructors equipment. Encourage the use of the buddy system in donning and doffing equipment. Divemasters Ensure diving equipment is placed as near to the water entry point, prior to assembly and donning. Slips and trips Injuries sustained by Warn all persons arriving at the site that the area can No further action Committee Ongoing for all tripping/falling on paths, be slippery when wet or icy. necessary at this training and dive trips. car parks, walls, rocks stage. Instructors and entry/exit points to Encourage rubber soled dive boots for safety. the water. Divemasters No running. Pre-existing medical Certain medical All participants undergoing training are required to No further action Instructors Ongoing for all conditions conditions and level of complete a medical questionnaire and exclusion of necessary at this training and dive trips. fitness may affect the liability form, which requires a signature. stage. persons ability to safely participate in this sport. In the event of any medical concerns raised, For example, conditions participants are referred to their doctor/GP for a medical such as asthma can be evaluation. A written fitness certificate obtained from a exacerbated while scuba medical practitioner is required before being allowed to diving. dive. v1.0.0 (29/09/16) !1 of !6 EUSAC Risk Assessment What are the hazards? Who might be harmed What are you already doing? Do you need to do Action by whom? Action by when? and how? anything else to manage this risk? Environmental conditions Low temperatures can Conditions must be assessed and appropriate to dive No further action Committee Ongoing for all of dive site. cause regulator free flow, operation and experience of the group. All dives are necessary at this training and dive trips. hypothermia and frost briefed before water entry. stage. Instructors - Weather bite. - Sun and heat In low temperatures, all regulators must be certified Divemasters - Air temperature High temperatures and EN250 for use in cold water diving. All participants - Water temperature sun exposure can cause undergoing training are taught how to handle free flow - Depth hyperthermia, heat situations. - Topography exhaustion and heat - Altitude stroke. Appropriate exposure protection must be worn by all - Visibility divers. Wetsuits or drysuits with hoods and gloves if - Overhead environments Low visibility can cause required. - Wrecks increased anxiety, - Drifts and currents disorientation and buddy Dives are planned within limits of training and separation. certification level. Max depth for Open Water divers is 18 metres. Max depth for Advanced Open Water divers No direct access to the is 30 metres. Max depth for Deep Specialty divers is 40 surface when entering metres. overhead environments. Appropriate considerations are made for low visibility Risk of entrapment when environments: Reduced ratios of instructors to students. entering wrecks. Use of torches/strobes. Buddy lines. Risk of being swept Wreck dives with penetration are only allowed with away from water entry/ Wreck Specialty training and certification. 40 metre exit points in strong linear distance rules apply when entering an overhead currents. environment. All dive sites are assessed for strong currents before water entry. Use of a certified dive guide familiar with local conditions when on organised club trips abroad. All divers must dive with a buddy and the group must have an appropriate audio or visual signalling device. v1.0.0 (29/09/16) !2 of !6 EUSAC Risk Assessment What are the hazards? Who might be harmed What are you already doing? Do you need to do Action by whom? Action by when? and how? anything else to manage this risk? Equipment malfunction Participants may be at All club scuba equipment is regularly inspected, No further action Committee Ongoing for all risk if their scuba serviced and kept in full working order. necessary at this training and dive trips. equipment malfunctions stage. Instructors underwater. The equipment provided has redundancy built in: Each diver has two breathing regulators, providing a spare if Divemasters Free flowing regulators. one fails. Regulators are designed to fail in a state of free-flow, meaning they will still provide a constant flow Leaks. of oxygen and not block the diver from taking a breath. Worn straps/clips/ All divers must dive with a buddy. Equipment can be buckles. shared in case of emergency (buddy breathing etc.) and training is provided for this situation. Missing/degraded o- rings. Contaminated air Contaminated air may All cylinders are refilled at reputable and certified No further action Committee Ongoing for all occur from faulty or service centres only. necessary at this training and dive trips. unmaintained air stage. Instructors compressors during All participants undergoing training are taught how to cylinder filling. detect contaminated air and if identified, stop using the Divemasters affected cylinder immediately. Can cause headaches, nausea and Mark affected cylinders to be examined, cleaned and unconsciousness. refilled before future use. v1.0.0 (29/09/16) !3 of !6 EUSAC Risk Assessment What are the hazards? Who might be harmed What are you already doing? Do you need to do Action by whom? Action by when? and how? anything else to manage this risk? Compressed gas Hazardous affects All participants undergoing training are taught how to No further action Instructors Ongoing for all complications caused by breathing recognise nitrogen narcosis and the steps to correct it. necessary at this training and dive trips. compressed gasses at stage. Divemasters - Nitrogen narcosis depth. All participants undergoing training are taught how to - Oxygen toxicity plan dives within safe limits of oxygen exposure. Nitrogen narcosis can cause “drunken” Increased risk of oxygen toxicity when breathing symptoms: Perceptual NITROX enriched air. Special training and certification narrowing. Euphoria. is required before allowing use of such gases. Loss of critical thinking. All divers must dive with a buddy. Oxygen toxicity can cause convulsions All training groups must be accompanied by an followed by instructor and safety diver (PADI Divemaster certified or unconciousness. above) for all in-water sessions. v1.0.0 (29/09/16) !4 of !6 EUSAC Risk Assessment What are the hazards? Who might be harmed What are you already doing? Do you need to do Action by whom? Action by when? and how? anything else to manage this risk? Diving related injuries Diving injuries can be All participants undergoing training are taught No further action Instructors Ongoing for all sustained when going appropriate diving safety information in accordance with necessary at this training and dive trips. - Barotrauma beyond appropriate local protocol and standards. stage. Divemasters - Decompression sickness safety limits. - Lung over expansion Emphasis on slow ascent and descent rates when Ascending or descending diving. too fast. Emphasis on the importance of ear space equalisation. Not equalising ear spaces. Emphasis on the importance of never holding your breath when diving. Holding breath during a dive. Mandatory safety stops at 5 metres for 3 minutes on all dives. All training groups must be accompanied by an instructor and safety diver (PADI Divemaster certified or above) for all in-water sessions. All training groups must have appropriate ratios of instructors to students, in accordance with local regulations and standards. All divers must dive with a buddy and the group must have an appropriate audio or visual signalling device. All divers must use a dive computer for all dives. Shore side support must be provided for all dives and log who is in the water at all times. All club instructors and divemasters must be certified Emergency First Responders and can provide primary/ secondary first-aid. All dive sites and trips must have an Emergency Action Plan, detailing procedures for evacuation and contact information for local medical services and hyperbaric chambers. v1.0.0 (29/09/16) !5 of !6 EUSAC Risk Assessment What are the hazards? Who might be harmed What are you already doing? Do you need to do Action by whom? Action by when? and how? anything else to manage this risk? Drowning Where any large body of All participants must be able to swim before No further action Instructors Ongoing for all water is present, there is commencement of training and in-water sessions. necessary at this training and dive trips. an inherent risk of stage. Divemasters drowning. All training groups must be accompanied by an instructor and safety diver (PADI Divemaster certified or above) for all in-water sessions. All training groups must have appropriate ratios of instructors to students, in accordance with local regulations and standards. All divers must dive with a buddy and the group must have an appropriate audio or visual signalling device. Shore side support must be provided for all dives and log who is in the water at all times. All club instructors and divemasters must be certified Emergency First Responders and can provide primary/ secondary first-aid. All dive sites and trips must have an Emergency Action Plan, detailing procedures for evacuation and contact information for local medical services and hyperbaric chambers. v1.0.0 (29/09/16) !6 of !6.