1 APPROVED CODE OF PRACTICE FOR TUNA FARM DIVING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE ACT, 1986 Notice of Approval of a Code of Practice Notice is hereby given that pursuant to subsection 63(1) of the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act, 1986, the following Code of Practice for Tuna Farm Diving, is an approved code of practice. This code of practice shall have effect from 1 January 1997 excluding clause 2.5 which shall have effect from 1 January 1999. 2 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CODE OF PRACTICE FOR TUNA FARM DIVING NB: Based on Australian Standard 2299-1992: Occupational Diving and reproduced with the kind permission of Standards Australia. 1996 3 FOREWORD This is an approved code of practice. The term approved code of practice has a particular meaning under the South Australian Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act, 1986. An approved code of practice provides minimum standards of health and safety and is designed to be used in addition to the Act and regulations. In proceedings for an offence against the Act where it is proved that a person failed to comply with a provision of a relevant approved code of practice, the person shall be taken to have failed to exercise the required standard of care, in the absence of proof to the contrary (Section 63a of the Act). Thus, a code of practice provides practical guidance on how a particular standard of health and safety can be achieved. It describes the preferred methods or courses of action for achieving this standard of health and safety. However, an approved code of practice allows the flexibility to show that an equivalent or better standard of health and safety is achieved by alternative action. An approved code of practice is therefore different from a regulation where the responsible person must meet the specific requirement of the regulation. In summary, an approved code of practice: Χ provides practical guidance; Χ should be followed unless there is another solution which achieves the same or a better standard of health and safety; and Χ can be used to support prosecution. Codes of practice are approved by the Minister of Occupational Health and Safety, following a recommendation from the Minister for Industrial Affair=s Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Advisory Committee. This approved Code of practice also includes some references to obligations imposed by an act of Parliament or regulation. These obligations are preceded by the word Αshall≅ Failure to observe these obligations is an offence against the Act or regulation. Preferred methods or courses of action are preceded by the word Αshould≅. This Approved Code of Practice is based almost entirely on Australian Standard 2299-1992 Occupational Diving (AS2299). The Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee on Work in Compressed Air. This committee comprised of 22 people representing employers, employees and government with expertise in diving and/or diving related issues. Special thanks is given to Standards Australia for their kind permission to reproduce AS2299 with minor modifications as an Approved Code of Practice. The illustrations for the hand signals shown in Appendix F are reproduced with the permission of PADI Australia Pty. Ltd. 4 CONTENTS Page SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 TITLE.................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2 AUTHORITY ..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.4 SCOPE .................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.5 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS .......................................................................................................... 8 1.6 DEFINITIONS..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.7 OTHER REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................. 10 SECTION 2 PERSONNEL FOR DIVING OPERATIONS 2.1 SUPERVISOR................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 DIVER............................................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 DIVER'S ATTENDANT................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 STANDBY DIVER........................................................................................................................... 12 2.5 DIVE MEDICAL TECHNICIAN ................................................................................................... 12 2.6 SUPERVISION OF HEALTH .......................................................................................................... 12 2.7 RECORDS ........................................................................................................................................ 12 SECTION 3 GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR DIVING 3.1 ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING............................................................................................... 13 3.2 SURFACE CONDITIONS................................................................................................................. 13 3.3 DEPTH OF WATER.......................................................................................................................... 14 3.4 COMMUNICATIONS....................................................................................................................... 14 3.5 WATER TEMPERATURES.............................................................................................................. 14 3.6 PLANT AND EQUIPMENT Χ GENERAL ...................................................................................... 14 3.7 MEDICAL AND TREATMENT EQUIPMENT ............................................................................... 14 3.8 DIVING VESSEL REQUIREMENTS............................................................................................... 15 3.9 DECOMPRESSION TABLES........................................................................................................... 15 3.10 LIFELINE .......................................................................................................................................... 16 3.11 AIR BREATHING APPARATUS..................................................................................................... 16 3.12 DIVING SUIT OR DRESS ................................................................................................................ 18 3.13 WEIGHT BELT OR WEIGHTS........................................................................................................ 18 3.14 WEIGHTED BOOTS......................................................................................................................... 18 3.15 DIVER'S KNIFE ................................................................................................................................ 18 3.16 AIR SUPPLIES .................................................................................................................................. 18 3.17 DIVING BEFORE OR AFTER TRAVEL......................................................................................... 19 3.18 PRE AND POST DIVE ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................... 19 SECTION 4 COMPRESSION (RECOMPRESSION) CHAMBER AND CHAMBER EQUIPMENT 4.1 AVAILABILITY OF COMPRESSION CHAMBER ........................................................................ 20 4.2 CHAMBER REQUIREMENTS......................................................................................................... 20 4.3 MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.................................................................................................................. 22 5 SECTION 5 PROCEDURES FOR SSBA DIVING OPERATIONS 5.1 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................................... 23 5.2 PERSONNEL REQUIRED................................................................................................................ 23 5.3 EQUIPMENT..................................................................................................................................... 23 5.4 LIFELINE .......................................................................................................................................... 24 5.5 COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY .......................................................................................................... 24 5.6 AIR COMPRESSOR SYSTEMS....................................................................................................... 25 5.7 CYLINDER AIR SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................. 27 SECTION 6 PROCEDURES FOR SCUBA DIVING OPERATIONS 6.1 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................................... 28 6.2