Some persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) may appoint a person to supervise diving under a different title. Regardless of the title (e.g. dive coordinators, dive officers) the training and knowledge requirements and responsibilities remain the same.
The dive coordinator or officer must hold the qualifications specified in regulation 171 for both the specific type of diving work to be conducted and for the supervision of the diving work and must be nominated in writing by the PCBU to supervise that diving work.
Supervision
Can a dive coordinator be the onsite competent person supervising diving work?
Yes. Whilst a competent person supervising diving work is nominated to oversee all diving work for that PCBU, a dive coordinator can be nominated by the PCBU to be onsite to supervise specific diving work.
Training and competency
What competencies are required for a worker undertaking ‘limited’ scientific diving?
A worker undertaking limited scientific diving must have the following training qualification or experience referred to in regulation 171A, in relation to:
- the application of diving physics
- the use, inspection, and maintenance of diving equipment (including emergency equipment) and air supply of the type to be used in the proposed general diving work
- the use of decompression tables or dive computers
- dive planning
- ways of communicating with another diver and with persons at the surface during general diving work
- how to safely carry out general diving work of the type proposed to be carried out
- diving physiology, emergency procedures and first aid.
If a person is not a permanent resident in Australia, then they require ‘relevant diving experience’, including relevant diving experience obtained outside Australia and proven dive qualifications.
The relevant diving experience includes a person logging at least 60 hours of diving of which at least 8 hours and 20 minutes were spent diving between 10 metres above and any depth below the maximum depth (30 metres) at which the limited scientific diving work is to be carried out.
What competencies are required for a worker undertaking ‘incidental’ diving?
A worker undertaking incidental diving must:
- Have the following knowledge and skills referred to in regulation 171A:
- the application of diving physics
- the use, inspection, and maintenance of diving equipment (including emergency equipment) and air supply of the type to be used in the proposed general diving work
- the use of decompression tables or dive computers
- dive planning
- ways of communicating with another diver and with persons at the surface during general diving work
- how to safely carry out general diving work of the type proposed to be carried out
- diving physiology, emergency procedures and first aid.
- Have ‘relevant diving experience’.
- Be supervised in the water by a person who has the competencies referred to in regulation 171.
Relevant diving experience includes a person logging at least 15 hours of diving of which at least 8 hours and 20 minutes were spent diving between 10 metres above and any depth below the maximum depth (30 metres) at which the limited scientific diving work is to be carried out.