ARTIFICIAL REEF PROGRAM SCIENTIFIC DIVING STANDARDS AND SAFETY MANUAL January 2007 ARTIFICIAL REEF PROGRAM SCIENTIFIC DIVING STANDARDS AND SAFETY MANUAL January 2007 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT ARTIFICIAL REEF PROGRAM DIVING CONTROL BOARD Membership for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Artificial Reef Program Diving Control Board includes TPWD staff and volunteer members as appointed by the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division Director. Current Members as of August, 2006 include: TPWD State Board Members Larry McKinney, Ph.D. Director, Coastal Fisheries Division, TPWD Dale Shively Coordinator, Artificial Reef Program, TPWD John Embesi Diving Safety Officer Artificial Reef Specialist, Artificial Reef Program, TPWD Douglas Peter Artificial Reef Biologist, Artificial Reef Program, TPWD Volunteer Board Members Caroline Fife, M.D. Director of Hyperbaric Medicine, Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston Divers Alert Network Advisory Board Larry Martin Diving Safety Officer, LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc. PADI Master SCUBA Instructor PSI Cylinder Inspector NOAA Aquanaut (Inactive) Chris May PADI Master SCUBA Instructor Divers Alert Network O2 Provider Instructor Medic First Aid International Instructor Trainer Emergency Medical Technician, Texas Department of Health Diver Medic Technician, National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology (Inactive) PREFACE The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program Scientific Diving Standards and Safety Manual, 2007 revision, is based on the American Academy of Underwater Sciences Standards for Scientific Diving, 2003 revision. This 2007 revision replaces the TPWD Artificial Reef Program Scientific Diving Standards and Safety Manual, April 1998 edition, and retains the standard format and information of the current AAUS manual. Appropriate changes in Volume 1 and supplementary sections in Volume 2 of the AAUS manual were added to address the unique diving conditions of the Artificial Reef Program. This manual represents the current minimum diving safety standards for the Artificial Reef Program and will be updated as diving science and technology advances. All updates will be approved through the TPWD Artificial Reef Program Diving Control Board. The following manual governs the scientific diving operations for the Artificial Reef Program and should not be considered the standard for other agency operations. The TPWD Artificial Reef Program has been an AAUS organizational member since 1998 and is listed as AAUS organizational member #131. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Diving Control Board of the TPWD Artificial Reef Program acknowledges AAUS and the authors of the Standards for Scientific Diving. REVISION HISTORY April, 1998 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program Scientific Diving Standards July, 2006 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program Scientific Diving Standards and Safety Manual. The manual was separated into two volumes to comply with current AAUS manual standards. COMMONLY USED ACRONYMS AAUS – American Academy of Underwater Sciences DCB – Diving Control Board DOT – U.S. Department of Transportation DSO – Diving Safety Officer NOA A – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration TPWD – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department TPWD-ARP – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program (Note: Please refer to Appendix 5, pg. 71, for other acronyms and definitions of terminology.) i CONTENTS Volume 1............................................................................................................................................1 Section 1.00 GENERAL POLICY .......................................................................................................3 1.10 Scientific Diving Standards ..........................................................................................3 1.20 Operational Control.....................................................................................................4 1.30 Consequence of Violation of Regulations by Scientific Divers ...................................8 1.40 Consequences of Violation of Regulations by AAUS Organizational Members ..........8 1.50 Record Maintenance ....................................................................................................8 Section 2.00 DIVING REGULATIONS FOR SCUBA (OPEN CIRCUIT, COMPRESSED AIR)............11 2.10 Introduction...............................................................................................................11 2.20 Pre-Dive Procedures...................................................................................................11 2.30 Diving Procedures .....................................................................................................12 2.40 Post-Dive Procedures .................................................................................................13 2.50 Emergency Procedures ..............................................................................................13 2.60 Flying After Diving ....................................................................................................13 2.70 Record Keeping Requirements ..................................................................................13 Section 3.00 DIVING EQUIPMENT ................................................................................................15 3.10 General Policy............................................................................................................15 3.20 Equipment..................................................................................................................15 3.30 Auxiliary Equipment..................................................................................................16 3.40 Support Equipment....................................................................................................16 3.50 Equipment Maintenance ............................................................................................17 3.60 Air Quality Standards.................................................................................................18 Section 4.00 ENTRY-LEVEL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS .............................................................19 4.10 Evaluation...................................................................................................................19 4.20 Scuba Training ...........................................................................................................19 Section 5.00 SCIENTIFIC DIVER CERTIFICATION ........................................................................23 5.10 Certification Types ....................................................................................................23 5.20 General Policy............................................................................................................23 5.30 Requirements For Scientific Diver Certification .......................................................23 5.40 Depth Certifications ..................................................................................................26 5.50 Continuation of Certificate........................................................................................27 5.60 Revocation of Certification........................................................................................27 5.70 Recertification ...........................................................................................................27 Section 6.00 MEDICAL STANDARDS .............................................................................................29 6.10 Medical Requirements................................................................................................29 iii Volume 2..........................................................................................................................................33 Section 7.00 NITROX DIVING GUIDELINES..................................................................................35 7.10 Prerequisites...............................................................................................................35 7.20 Requirements for Authorization to Use Nitrox..........................................................35 7.30 Nitrox Training Guidelines ........................................................................................36 7.40 Scientific Nitrox Diving Regulations .........................................................................38 7.50 Nitrox Diving Equipment...........................................................................................41 Section 8.00 STAGED DECOMPRESSION DIVING .........................................................................43 8.10 Minimum Experience and Training Requirements ...................................................43 8.20 Minimum Equipment Requirements:.........................................................................44 8.30 Minimum Operational Requirements ........................................................................45 Section 9.00 MIXED GAS DIVING..................................................................................................47 9.10 Minimum Experience and Training Requirements ...................................................47 9.20 Equipment and Gas Quality Requirements................................................................48