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- Diving is Deadly Dangerous
Diving is Deadly Dangerous
- By © UnderwaterINDUSTRY .com
- Published 02/17/2002
- UnderwaterIndustry News
- Unrated
"There's almost no margin for error in diving," states the government of Ontario's Guidelines for the Harmonization of Diving Regulations in Canada. "In Canada, in a workforce of only a few thousand divers, there have been more than 50 occupational diving fatalities since 1975. This is about 20 times the rate in construction."
The dangers associated with diving are vastly underrated, says Jeremy Leonard, of the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors (CADC). "Commercial diving is one of the most potentially dangerous work activities there is," he says. Divers can and do die even in the ponds on golf courses, retrieving golf balls.
Employers who hire divers rarely understand the complexities and dangers involved in underwater services. They may employ divers who are inadequately trained and unaware of the potential dangers of underwater work.
Alberta Labour expects employers to ensure the divers they hire are trained up to Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards. Employers should make sure they are hiring competent divers with the right skills for the job. Recreational divers do not have the right training to work on specialized commercial jobs. Underwater work involving cutting and welding, inspection of dredging and pumping operations, and at dams or power generating facilities requires a unique set of skills, knowledge, and equipment.
"It's the work around intakes and mechanisms where they [divers] get hurt," says Leonard. "And every pulp and paper mill, every occupation that depends on water systems, needs divers to clean them up and keep them running."
Some CSA diving standard requirements include: • a minimum of three people on site
• a stand-in diver, dressed and ready to assist the working diver(s)
• a supervisor
• a system providing continuous air from the surface and a bailout system with additional air
• a communication system connecting the diver with the supervisor on the surface
Hiring divers? Ask to see their certification papers. Ask if they work to CSA standards. Ask to see evidence of training that conforms to the competency code. (In 1997 the CSA standard " Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations" was amended to include a competency code for diving operations.)
The dangers associated with diving are vastly underrated, says Jeremy Leonard, of the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors (CADC). "Commercial diving is one of the most potentially dangerous work activities there is," he says. Divers can and do die even in the ponds on golf courses, retrieving golf balls.
Employers who hire divers rarely understand the complexities and dangers involved in underwater services. They may employ divers who are inadequately trained and unaware of the potential dangers of underwater work.
Alberta Labour expects employers to ensure the divers they hire are trained up to Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards. Employers should make sure they are hiring competent divers with the right skills for the job. Recreational divers do not have the right training to work on specialized commercial jobs. Underwater work involving cutting and welding, inspection of dredging and pumping operations, and at dams or power generating facilities requires a unique set of skills, knowledge, and equipment.
"It's the work around intakes and mechanisms where they [divers] get hurt," says Leonard. "And every pulp and paper mill, every occupation that depends on water systems, needs divers to clean them up and keep them running."
Some CSA diving standard requirements include: • a minimum of three people on site
• a stand-in diver, dressed and ready to assist the working diver(s)
• a supervisor
• a system providing continuous air from the surface and a bailout system with additional air
• a communication system connecting the diver with the supervisor on the surface
Hiring divers? Ask to see their certification papers. Ask if they work to CSA standards. Ask to see evidence of training that conforms to the competency code. (In 1997 the CSA standard " Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations" was amended to include a competency code for diving operations.)