U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY DIVING SAFETY MANUAL (Revision 1.3) Office of Administration and Resources Management Safety and Sustainability Division Washington, D.C. April 15, 2016 Acknowledgments The Safety and Sustainability Division (S&S) acknowledges the cooperative participation of members of EPA’s Diving Safety Board over the years, including those members listed below. Jed Campbell Gary Collins Brandi Todd Tara Houda TChris MochonCollura Steven J. Donohue Eric P. Nelson Eric Newman Mel Parsons Dave Gibson Rob Pedersen Alan Humphrey Kennard Potts William Luthans Sean Sheldrake Disclaimer This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. The U.S. government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this document. The contents of this manual reflect the views of EPA’s Diving Safety Board in presenting the standards of their operations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DIVING SAFETY MANUAL (Revision 1.3, April 15, 2016) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 DIVE PROGRAM POLICY .............................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Purpose .............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Background ....................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Policy ................................................................................................................ 1-2 1.4 Scope ................................................................................................................. 1-3 2.0 DIVE PROGRAM ORGANIZATION ............................................................. 2-1 2.1 Diving Safety Board (DSB) .............................................................................. 2-1 2.2 DSB Chairperson .............................................................................................. 2-2 2.3 DSB Technical Director .................................................................................... 2-4 2.4 DSB Training Director ...................................................................................... 2-4 2.5. DSB Special Operations Director ..................................................................... 2-5 2.6 Unit Diving Officer (UDO) .............................................................................. 2-7 2.7 Alternate UDO .................................................................................................. 2-9 2.8 Divemaster ........................................................................................................ 2-9 2.9 Diving Safety Supervisor ................................................................................ 2-10 2.10 Scientific Diver and Trainee ........................................................................... 2-11 2.11 Dive Tender .................................................................................................... 2-13 2.12 EPA Diving Medicine Specialist .................................................................... 2-13 2.13 S&S Representative ........................................................................................ 2-15 3.0 DIVE PROGRAM ELEMENTS ....................................................................... 3-1 3.1 General Operations ........................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Special Equipment and Operations ................................................................... 3-4 3.3 EPA Diving Safety ............................................................................................ 3-5 3.4 Recordkeeping .................................................................................................. 3-6 3.5 Medical Reviews ............................................................................................... 3-7 3.6 Emergency Planning ......................................................................................... 3-7 3.7 Reciprocity ........................................................................................................ 3-8 3.8 Exceptions ....................................................................................................... 3-10 4.0 DIVER TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION ................................................. 4-1 4.1 Need for Divers ................................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Application for Training ................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Physical Examination........................................................................................ 4-2 4.4 EPA Diver Certification .................................................................................... 4-4 4.5 Issuance ............................................................................................................. 4-8 4.6 Prior Equivalent Diver Training ....................................................................... 4-8 4.7 Requalification .................................................................................................. 4-9 4.8 Suspension of a Qualification ........................................................................... 4-9 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DIVING SAFETY MANUAL (Revision 1.3, April 15, 2016) APPENDICES A EPA Diving Safety Rules B EPA Air and Nitrox I and II Dive Tables (derived from US Navy Dive Tables 15 April 2008) C Example Diver Exam EPA Medical Evaluation Form Note: contact SHEM for current version) D Non-EPA Diver Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk & Recreational Scuba Training Council Medical Statement & Guidelines E Blank – retained for future reference F Letters of Certification (Examples) G Letter of Reciprocity (Example) H EPA Diving Forms I EPA Dive Program Report (Template) J Safety Audit Checklist K Nitrox (Oxygen-Enriched Air) Diving (Minimum Standards for Use) L Biohazard Diving Operations (including decontamination) M Dive Computer Guidelines N EPA Memorandum of Agreement of between the Safety, Health and Environmental Management Division and Diving Safety Board signed April, 10 and 11, 2010 O Surface Supplied Diving Standard Operating Procedure P Tethered Diving Standard Operating Procedure Q Standard Operating Procedures for Diver Decontamination U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DIVING SAFETY MANUAL (Revision 1.3, April 15, 2016) GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AAUS American Academy of Underwater Sciences AGE arterial gas embolism (aka CAGE) BCD Buoyancy Control Device CAGE cerebral arterial gas embolism (aka AGE) CFR Code of Federal Regulations CPR cardio pulmonary resuscitation DAN Divers Alert Network DCI decompression illness (includes both DCS and AGE) DCS decompression sickness DMS Diving Medical Specialist DSB Diving Safety Board EPA U.S.Environmental Protection Agency FSW feet seawater IDEA International Diving Educators Association MOA memorandum of agreement NASDS National Association of Scuba Diving Schools NAUI National Association of Underwater Instructors NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration OA Office of Administration OSC On-Scene Coordinator OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Department of Labor) PADI Professional Association of Diving Instructors ROV remotely operated vehicle RPM Remedial Project Manager scuba self-contained underwater breathing apparatus SEE Senior Environmental Employee S&S Safety and Sustainability Division SHEMP Safety, Health and Environmental Management Program SOP standard operating procedure SM standard method SSI Scuba Schools International UDO Unit Diving Officer UMHS Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society VHF very high frequency VIP visual inspection process VVDS variable volume dry suit YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association, scuba training program U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DIVING SAFETY 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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DIVING SAFETY MANUAL (Revision 1.3, April 15, 2016) Section 1 – Dive Program Policy 1.0 DIVE PROGRAM POLICY 1.1 Purpose This policy section prescribes the administration and safety rules for the EPA Underwater/Diving Safety Program. Federal law requires that individual underwater activities (diving) conducted in performance of any employment condition must conform with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations 29 CFR Part 1910 — OSH Standards; Subpart T — Commercial Diving Operations. EPA has opted, as the basis for its policy, to conduct its diving operation in accordance with the scientific diving exemption as codified in that document. This directive sets forth EPA’s policy for minimizing its worker’s occupational hazards to the underwater environment. Divers must be aware of the additional specific underwater-related hazards such as drowning, near-drowning and the hyperbaric illnesses, which include nitrogen narcosis, decompression sickness (DCS), arterial gas embolism (AGE), oxygen toxicity and other ancillary health and safety issues. The program’s objectives include compliance with applicable federal, state, and local governmental laws, regulations, guidelines, and executive orders; incorporation of appropriate