DEME-QHSES-SOI-062

DIVING OPERATIONS

CONTENT
1 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE ........................................................................................................................................2

2 ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES .............................................................................................................2

2.1 MASTER/PROJECT MANAGER ............................................................................................................................................ 2

2.2 QHSE-S MANAGER ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
2.3 COMPETENT DIVING CONTRACTOR .................................................................................................................................... 2
2.4 DIVING SUPERVISOR ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

3 DIVE CONTRACTOR SELECTION ............................................................................................................................3

4 DEME REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................................................3

4.1 DIVE METHOD ............................................................................................................................................................... 3

4.2 SAFE WORK AREA .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
4.3 DOCUMENTATION .......................................................................................................................................................... 4

5 DEME REPRESENTATIVE.......................................................................................................................................4

6 DIVE CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................................................4

6.1 DIVING REGULATIONS...................................................................................................................................................... 4

6.2 DIVE CONTRACTOR DOCUMENTATION................................................................................................................................ 4
6.3 MINIMUM DIVE PERSONNEL AND TRAINING ....................................................................................................................... 7
6.4 MINIMUM DIVE EQUIPMENT............................................................................................................................................ 7

7 RISK MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................9

7.1 SURFACE CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

7.2 IN-WATER CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................................................. 9
7.3 COMMUNICATIONS......................................................................................................................................................... 9
7.4 WATER TEMPERATURE .................................................................................................................................................... 9
7.5 DIVE SITE REQUIREMENTS.............................................................................................................................................. 10
7.6 DECOMPRESSION DIVING............................................................................................................................................... 10

8 PERMIT TO WORK ............................................................................................................................................. 10

9 LOCK-OUT / TAG-OUT ........................................................................................................................................ 10

10 DEFINITIONS.................................................................................................................................................. 11

11 DOCUMENT REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 11

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1 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE

This instruction applies to all DEME project sites and vessels worldwide.

All diving works are to be done by a competent diving contractor, making use of suitably trained and experienced
diving personnel, certified diving equipment and having adequate emergency response measures in place which
meet the requirements of DEME and the local legislation.

Prior to performing diving works, a check shall be done to verify if other methods are possible which reduce the
risk of working underwater with personnel.

The objective of this Procedure is to outline the minimum requirements by which diving works are to be conducted
on both sites and vessels so that diving related accidents are avoided.

Subcontractors that have a system that satisfies the requirements of this instruction may use their own system
provided it has been approved prior to execution.

DEME employees are NOT allowed to execute any diving operations.

2 ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1 Master/project manager
The master of the vessel or project manager (PM) are responsible for the implementation of this procedure and
shall ensure that all relevant personnel are made aware of the requirements imposed on them by this instruction.

He/she shall ensure that a safe working environment is provided and ensures that authorisation is provided prior
to diving.

The vessel master shall have direct communication with the diving supervisor at all times when the diver is in the
water. Where a hazard to the vessel or the diving operation arises, he shall advise the dive supervisor to stop
diving operations and immediately recover the diver.

He/she shall check the certificates and competences of the external diving company.

2.2 QHSE-S manager

The QHSE-S manager is responsible for the implementation of this instruction through audits and inspections.

2.3 Competent Diving Contractor

This contractor must be recognized and certified according to international diving standards used in professional
shipping and offshore industry. The company delivers a competent diver, a diving superintendent and a dive
supervisor.
The contractor shall ensure that all diving works comply with the requirements of this procedure, local permit
requirements and local regulations.

An overview of roles and responsibilities of all dive team members shall form part of the Diving Manual.

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2.4 Diving Supervisor

The appointed diving supervisor shall have experience in the task and shall be legally responsible for all diving
activities under his supervision and shall ensure that all requirements are met.

The diving supervisor shall ensure suitable equipment and tools are used and in serviceable condition, certificates
of equipment and personnel are in place and in date, required documentation is available at the dive location,
records are kept up to date and that all works are directly supervised at all times.

Where the vessel master advises a hazard to the vessel or diving operations arises, the supervisor shall safely
recover the diver as quick as possible.

3 DIVE CONTRACTOR SELECTION

Where diving works have been selected as the preferable method for performing underwater works, a suitable
diving contractor shall be selected according to the procurement and subcontractor management processes.

In addition to the selection process, a preselection audit may be required to ensure the dive contractor meets the
requirements of this procedure. Where this audit is required, a competent person with knowledge of this
procedure, local requirements and diving equipment shall complete this audit.

4 DEME REQUIREMENTS
To ensure that the dive team can plan the task adequately, DEME is required to provide as much information on
the requirements, the work location and any other information that may affect the diving works.

4.1 Dive Method

All diving works on DEME vessels / projects shall be done using Surface Supplied Diving equipment.

Where the selection process has shown that there are no companies with the capabilities of provided Surface
Supplied Diving equipment or persons trained in the use, the Project Manager / Vessel Master shall seek advice
from a competent person for control measures required for the use of SCUBA as the dive method.

Should SCUBA be used, the below minimum requirements shall be met:

• All divers and supervisors shall be trained and familiar with the diving equipment. The minimum dive team
shall be 1 supervisor, 2 divers (main and standby diver) and 1 tender;
• Dives deeper than 10m are prohibited;
• All dives shall have a clear line to the surface at all times (no penetration dives or dives under vessels /
structures);
• The diver shall either be directly connected to a dive line from the surface or connected to a buddy diver;
• Clear communication methods shall be agreed. (either through water communications or line pulls);
• Fixed limits on dive times shall be in place to ensure a minimum of 80bar remains in the cylinder when
surfacing;
• Repetitive / bounce diving is prohibited;
• Heavy / strenuous works are prohibited;
• Working with power tools is prohibited;

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4.2 Safe Work Area

Where possible, DEME shall ensure that no activities or processes in the vicinity of the diving works shall affect the
safety of the dive team. Where SIMOPS are planned, the dive supervisor shall determine if the controls are
sufficient to safely continue diving.

DEME shall provide, where required, documentation which can assist in determining direct and indirect risks in the
area under DEME’s control.

4.3 Documentation
This instruction shall be provided to the Dive Contractor. Additional documentation may include drawings,
photographs, technical info, project layouts and infostructure info, etc related to the activity.

5 DEME REPRESENTATIVE
Where the scope or complexity of the underwater works requires or where there are multiple dive teams, DEME
may assign competent person as a superintendent. At no time shall the presence of the DEME superintendent
relieve the responsibilities of the appointed diving supervisor of the Dive Contractor.

6 DIVE CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

All diving contractors shall meet the below requirements as a minimum. Where local legislative requirements are
more stringent, these shall take precedence.

6.1 Diving regulations

All planned diving operations shall be carried out in accordance with local regulations or a recognized standard for
diving operations. The following dive regulations and standards are recognized by DEME:
• ABR 155 Royal Australian Navy (RAN) diving manual;
• Belgian law: “KB dd. 23/12/2003 betreffende de bescherming van de werknemers tegen de risico’s bij
werkzaamheden in een hyperbare omgeving”;
• BR 2806 UK Military diving manual;
• International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Offshore diving;
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) US dive regulations and United States Navy
(USN) diving manual.

Local regulation needs to be followed wherever it is more stringent than the above mentioned regulations.

6.2 Dive Contractor Documentation

Local Permits and Authorisations
The Diving Contractor shall ensure that they are in possession of all required permits and authorisations which
allow them to conduct underwater works.

Dive Manual
The Diving Contractor shall have a Dive Manual in place which outlines all aspects of planning underwater works,
diving method used, equipment requirements for working underwater and provides guidance on the safe
execution of diving and related activities and emergencies.

The Dive Manual shall always be available at the dive location for reference by the dive supervisor.

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Dive Safe Work Instructions

Dive safe work instructions shall be in place for specific tasks, (like welding, inspections, cleaning, etc.) to provide
guidance to the dive team.

Specific work instructions may compliment the risk management process as a control to reduce the risk in the task
by specifying tool, method, manning or process requirements in order to conduct the task in a structured and safe
way.

All dive work instructions covering the specific task shall be understood by the dive team and kept at the dive
location for reference.

Personnel Documentation
Dive team personnel shall all be trained in the type of diving being performed, medically fit, familiar with first aid
techniques and hold evidence of experience.

Each diver shall have with him at all times:

• Evidence of his commercial diving training that meets the requirements as per Table 1 – Acceptable
Certifications;
• Diving medical certificate which are issued by an approved diving medical practitioner, (this is not a normal
fit for duty medical certificate), valid within 12 months;
• Valid first aid certificate (where a diver medical technician (DMT) is required, a valid training certificate);
• Logbook of all dives;

Each diving supervisor shall have with him at all times:

• Evidence of his commercial supervisor training that meets the requirements as per Table 1 – Acceptable
Certifications;
• Written letter of appointment issued by the diving contractor;
• Medical certificate or fitness to work;
• Valid first aid certificate;

The proposed dive team, evidence of the above documents and an overview of their experience may be requested
for acceptance prior to diving.

The below table provides an overview of acceptable diver and supervisor qualifications. This does not include
qualifications required for closed bell or saturation diving.
Onshore / Inshore Diver HSE Part III, ADAS Part 2, South Africa Class III, Commercial Diver Surface Supply
(onshore/inland) or similar issued by an accredited training institution.
Onshore / Inshore ADAS SSBA Part 2 supervisor (to 30m), South Africa Class III supervisor (to 30m),
Supervisor or similar issued by an accredited training institution.
Offshore Diver HSE Part 1, ADAS Part 3, “Duikarbeid Categorie B”, South Africa Class II,
Commercial Diver Surface Supply (offshore up to 50m) or similar issued by an
accredited training institution
Offshore Supervisor ADAS SSBA Part 3 supervisor (to 50m), IMCA air diving supervisor or similar issued
by an accredited training institution.
Table 1 – Acceptable Certifications

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Emergency Response
The master of the vessel/project manager/QHSE-S manager must make sure that an emergency response plan is in
place for the diving operation; see ALD-QHSES-PRO-036 Emergency preparedness and response. The plan shall be
made up by the diving company. All possible diving related incidents are to be covered.

Where the diving works affect the Emergency Response of the project / vessel, the project manager / vessel
master shall ensure that the plans don’t conflict.

The Emergency Response Procedure shall in addition cover:

• Contact information of the registered medical practitioner specialising in hyperbaric medicine;
• Location and contact information of the closest medical support providers and travel time to the dive site;
• Location of the closest decompression chamber and an agreement in place for the use 24 hours a day;
• Expected emergencies and their management;
• Required number of trained persons and equipment to be kept at the dive site;
Where emergency response is managed by DEME, a bridging document shall be made to ensure both emergency
response procedures are aligned.

Training
All divers should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid management of those common illnesses
and injuries to which they may be exposed. This training should include the use of common items of first aid
equipment including oxygen administration systems and must hold current certificates (Red Cross standard course
level or equivalent).

Additional training or familiarisation may be required in the use of equipment or techniques used for a particular
emergency activity.

Where the dive location is not reachable by national emergency service providers or where a decompression
chamber is on site, sufficient divers should have received additional training to a diver medic level to ensure
suitable stabilisation is provided until support arrives or where decompression treatment is required, a suitably
trained person is available to accompany the diver during treatment.

Emergency Response Equipment

As a minimum, the following equipment is mandatory at any dive site:
• Certified means of recovering an unconscious diver from the water;
• Stretcher;
• Medical oxygen with all attachments to deliver oxygen to an injured diver. The volume of oxygen shall be
sufficient to last until assistance arrives or for the duration of transport to a medical facility;
• First Aid kit stocked to stop bleeding and treat cuts, burns, sprains and rash/reaction from aquatic sources;
• Automatic External Defibrillator (AED);

Where the dive location is not reachable by national emergency service providers or other registered medical
personnel within the required timeframe, is located offshore or where the task involves an inherent high risk, a
sufficient number of persons trained as diver medical technicians and a full trauma medical kit meeting the
requirements of DMAC 15 as a minimum or as advised by the company assigned hyperbaric medical doctor.

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Decompression Chamber
A fully functioning two-compartment decompression chamber ready to provide a hyperbaric treatment schedule
as required by medical advice by suitably trained personnel shall be made available within 2 hours traveling from
the dive location.

The diving contractor shall ensure that familiarisation has been done with the dive team on the location, routes,
transport means and other requirements prior to starting the activities.

Where the decompression chamber is part of the diving contractors dive spread, all persons required to operate
the chamber or are part of the treatment team shall be suitably trained and made familiar with the system on a
regular basis.

Where the diving depth is less than 10 meters, the bottom time is less than 80% of the allowed no-decompression
table bottom time and the activity is low intensity and low risk (e.g. inspections), the requirement for a
decompression chamber shall be assessed in the dive plan.

6.3 Minimum Dive Personnel And Training

A dive team shall, as minimum, consist of 1 Dive Supervisor, 2 Divers (main diver and a standby diver) and 1 Dive
Tender per Diver (the dive tender may also be a diver).
The Supervisor shall be suitably trained to the level required for the activity and type of diving and shall be
appointed to supervise the dive team for the shift.

The minimum number of suitably qualified divers is two (main diver and stand-by diver). However, this will provide
the minimum in-water working capability and it will be necessary to provide additional divers dependent upon the
time which each diver is able to spend in the water and the number of dives to be carried out in each shift.

The size of the required dive team shall be assessed in the dive plan.

6.4 Minimum Dive Equipment

Dive Spreads
The standard method for all diving works is Surface Supplied Diving. The minimum required diving equipment
differs for Onshore / Inshore and Offshore diving works.

Onshore / Inshore dive spread

The proposed equipment / dive spread should, as a minimum, comply with the requirements of
DEME-QHSES-REQ-001.

DEME-QHSES-REQ-001 shall be used as a pre-mob inspection requirement and shall be done by a competent
person prior to starting.

Offshore dive spread

The proposed equipment / dive spread should, as a minimum, comply with the requirements of the IMCA Diving
Equipment Systems Inspection Guidance Note, IMCA D023, and shall be verified by a competent person prior to
starting.

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Power Tool Requirements

All power tools required for the works shall be evaluated as part of the Risk Management process. Manual
Handling, Guarding, Training, Environmental aspects shall be assessed, and suitable controls shall be put in place.

All power tools shall be checked prior to use to ensure the tool is correct for the task and is in serviceable
condition as per the manufacture’s requirements.

Specific PPE requirements shall be met when making use of power tools.

Planned Maintenance Systems

This may be prepared in different formats such as:
• a series of notebooks or files etc., one being provided for each major item of equipment
• a card index system
• a computer program backed up by a hard or non-corruptible copy.

Whichever system is used provision must be made for the following:

• inclusion of manufacturers' recommendations and manuals, where appropriate
• compliance with the requirements of this document where certification is achieved
• a record of planned work to be kept showing each item of maintenance and the interval at which it should
be maintained i.e. daily, weekly, monthly, yearly etc.
• a record of unplanned work, including repairs
• traceability to the person who carried out the work as recorded on an item of equipment whether manual
or computer systems are employed
• records to be kept logically. There should be no doubt in the completed document as to the date on which
maintenance has been carried out and by whom
• ensuring that maintenance which has been delayed on a particular piece of equipment for any reason, is
carried out at the first available opportunity to avoid a hazardous situation arising
• availability of adequate spares to permit routine and non-routine replacement as necessary.

Certification and Testing

Diving plant and equipment must be certified that it complies with any relevant legal requirements or the flag
state of the vessel or floating installation on which it is being operated. Such certificates need to be issued by a
competent person and be available at the dive location.

An overview of the certification pack may be requested for acceptance prior to diving.

The frequency and extent of examination and testing required for all items of plant used in a diving project should
be based on the manufacturers’ recommendations and be in accordance with the appropriate national, European
or international standards.
Prior to starting the diving activity, a full dry and wet function test shall be done to test all components of the
system being used. This test shall include all supporting equipment like cranes, decompression chambers, tools,
etc.

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7 RISK MANAGEMENT
A Method Statement (MST), or scope of works, Risk Assessment (HIRA) or JSA and an authorized Permit to Work
(PTW) are compulsory for all diving activities on DEME projects vessels and shall be made in addition to the diving
specific risk management requirements of the Diving Manual. These shall be developed with all parties involved
and provided for acceptance prior to starting the underwater works.

Reference is made to ALD-QHSES-PRO-006 HSE risk management; and for vessels to:
• DEME-VMS-PRO-001 Performance of HIRA;
• DEME-VMS-PRO-002 Job Safety Analysis;

The diving contractor shall give careful consideration to the following conditions / activities:

7.1 Surface Conditions

The surface conditions include the state of the water, weather, visibility, tide, currents, water temperature,
presence of ships or other craft, and any other surface conditions that could affect the operation.

Diving operations shall not be undertaken in rough seas, unusual tides or currents or other adverse conditions
unless the supervisor has ensured that the diver's safety will not be jeopardised.

7.2 In-Water Conditions

In-water conditions may include moving objects, confined spaces, visibility, presence of contaminants,
obstructions, dangerous marine life, pressure differentials and currents.

Divers shall be provided with appropriate protective equipment to prevent contact with water contaminated with
chemical, biological, or other hazardous material of sufficient concentration to cause illness or injury. Where
necessary, additional personal protective equipment shall be provided to ensure similar protection is afforded to
the remainder of the dive team.

High stress working environment (e.g. working on UXO’s or live installations) or physically intensive activities can
also affect the performance of a diver. Consideration for maximum bottom time shall be taken into account where
the in-water conditions are not favourable.

7.3 Communications
The diving contractor shall establish an efficient and reliable, preferably voice communication system between the
diver(s) and the dive control position.

All persons in the diving team must share a common language. Where non-diving personnel are involved in the
activity, e.g. crane operator, they shall share the common language with the dive team.

7.4 Water Temperature

The diving contractor should assess the temperature of water and possible thermoclines at the dive site.
Appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure the diver is at a comfortable temperature and the dive times are
adapted accordingly where there is an increased risk of decompression illness.

Extra care against DCI and hypothermia shall be taken when diving in water temperatures below 10⁰C.

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7.5 Dive Site Requirements

Diving operations shall be conducted only from a safe and suitable site or vessel, which always provides:
• Suitable access and egress for the divers;
• Means to recover an injured diver from the water; and
• Means of communication to emergency support services.

When diving from a vessel, the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and local rules shall apply.
The appropriate signals shall also be displayed when diving.

7.6 Decompression Diving

Where possible, diving works shall be planned under “no-decompression” diving limits. Where repetitive or
decompression diving is required, it shall be carried out in accordance with widely recognised and industry
approved dive and decompression tables. If, at any time a diver exhibits signs or symptoms of decompression
illness, medical assistance should be sought.

When carrying out decompression in water, the diver shall always be on a shot line, lazy shot or a diving stage, and
the diver's maximum depth of dive and the depth at any time during decompression stops shall be recorded on the
dive record. Divers shall not swim free when carrying out decompression stops.

8 PERMIT TO WORK
All diving works shall be done under an authorised Permit to Work and shall comply with the requirements of the
Permit to Work Procedure.

Where other high risk activities are done as part of the diving works, (e.g. hot works, lifting, etc.), these shall also
comply with these requirements..

When diving from / on a vessel, the vessel pre-diving checklist shall form part of the Permit to Work and shall be
completed prior to diving or after changes occur.

The Dive Supervisor shall complete a pre and post dive checklist for all dives as part of their diving system.

Reference is made to DEME-QHSES-SOI-006 PTW system and for Vessels:

• DEME-VMS-SOI-057 Permit to Work (PTW).
• DEME-QHSES-CHL-062 Pre-Diving Checklist

9 LOCK-OUT / TAG-OUT
Where there is a possible exposure to any energy source, uncontrolled movements, exposure to differential
pressures or suction and discharge points that is a risk to the diving works, adequate isolation measures shall be
put in place according to the lock-out tag-out procedure prior to the diver entering the water.

Reference is made to DEME-QHSES-PRO-037 LockOut-TagOut.

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10 DEFINITIONS
• Competent diver: A person that carries a diver’s license (including medical certification) issued by an
approved authority or by institutions/organizations accredited by an approved authority.
• Decompression Illness (DCI): is a term used to describe illness that results from a reduction in the ambient
pressure surrounding a body and encompasses two diseases, decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas
embolism (AGE).
• Diving operation: Activity where the diver is directly exposed to increased ambient pressure.
• Diving superintendent: A person that has been appointed to oversee multiple dive teams or complex
underwater works. Where this person also has responsibilities as a Dive Supervisor, he shall meet these
requirements.
• Dive supervisor: A person that has been appointed in writing by the underwater contractor to be in charge
of a MUO or parts of such operation.
• Diver medical technician: A person that has completed training as a Diver Medical Technician, they
administer advanced first aid and life support skills in the management of diving casualties including
treatment while at pressure.
• DMAC: Diving Medical Advisory Committee, this independent body, comprising diving medical specialists
from across Northern Europe, seeks to provide advice about medical and certain safety aspects of
commercial diving.
• Manned Underwater Operation (MUO): Activity that involves humans staying below surface and/or being
exposed to increased ambient pressure.
• Offshore: At sea outside territorial waters (generally Within 12 nautical miles from the low water line), in
connection with offshore installations, energy structures, e.g. wind farms, emerging energy technologies,
wells and pipeline works, and with those parts of mines which extend outside the 12-mile limit. At sea off or
in connection with pipelines and structures used by the oil and gas industry within the 12-mile limit. Where
diving takes place from vessels maintaining station by the use of dynamic positioning.
• Onshore/Inshore: In territorial waters (generally Within 12 nautical miles from the low water line), inland in
docks, harbour, rivers, culverts, canals, lakes, ponds, tanks and reservoirs.

All other abbreviations and terms are defined in DEME-QHSES-DOC-007 Abbreviations & terms.

11 DOCUMENT REFERENCES
DEME-QHSES-DOC-007
DEME-QHSES-REQ-001
ALD-QHSES-PRO-006
ALD-QHSES-TMP-020
DEME-VMS-PRO-001
DEME-QHSES-RA-008
DEME-QHSES-SOI-065
DEME-VMS-PRO-002
DEME-QHSES-SOI-006
DEME-VMS-SOI-057
DEME-QHSES-PRO-037
DEME-QHSES-CHL-062
ALD-QHSES-PRO-036
Abbreviations and terms
SSD Inshore Dive Spread Requirements
HSE risk management
Job Safety Analysis Template
Performance of HIRA
Risk Identification and Evaluation for Diving Works
How to make a risk assessment
Job Safety Analysis
Permit to Work (PTW) System
Permit to Work (PTW)
LockOut-TagOut
Pre-diving checklist
Emergency preparedness and response

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