General diving work

The person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must keep the following records:

• A certificate of medical fitness to dive for each diver. These certificates must be kept for one year after the work is carried out.
• Written evidence of dive competencies for each diver and must be kept for at least one year after the work is carried out.
• Written evidence of dive competency and appointment of the dive supervisor must be kept for at least one year after the dive supervisor stops supervising diving.
• Any risk assessment conducted for diving operations must be kept for a period of 28 days after the work to which it relates is completed, or two years if a notifiable incident has occurred.
• A dive plan for every diving operation being conducted and kept until the work to which it relates is completed, or two years if a notifiable incident has occurred.
• A dive safety log for every dive must be kept for at least one year after the last entry is made, or two years if a notifiable incident has occurred.

Diving most often occurs in open environments which can be subject to changes. Dive plans can and should be reviewed as the profile of the diving activity changes. For example, consideration should be given to any changes to hazards, risks, controls and dive profiles. Any changes made by the appointed competent person supervising the diving activities should be communicated to workers and provided as instructions to workers prior to the dive commencing.

Under regulation 171, a worker undertaking general diving work must:

1. Have the appropriate qualification – a certificate relevant to the type of diving that they will be undertaking. The certificate of competency must be issued by a training organisation that trains in the AS/NZ 2815 series.
2. Have the knowledge and skills acquired through training, qualification, or experience in relation to the following:
   1. the application of diving physics
   2. 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
   3. the use of decompression tables or dive computers
   4. dive planning
   5. ways of communicating with another diver and with persons at the surface during general diving work
   6. how to safely carry out general diving work of the type proposed to be carried out
   7. diving physiology, emergency procedures and first aid.

Training does not need to be undertaken specifically at a registered training organisation. Instead, you can attend a training organisation that trains in the AS/NZ 2815 series that will issue a certificate relevant to the type of general diving work that you will be undertaking.

If the PCBU is providing the training as a training organisation, then it is the responsibility of the PCBU to ensure that the training aligns with all the relevant competencies outlined in the AS/NZ 2815 series and that a certificate listing the relevant competencies is issued.

Under regulation 174, a competent person supervising diving work must be nominated in writing by the PCBU and have 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. 

In most circumstances, onsite supervision is required to ensure that if the risk profile of the dive changes, you can make necessary changes to the risk assessment, dive plan and implement further controls. As the competent person supervising diving work, you are also required to make entries into and sign the dive log if diving off a vessel, prior to the vessel leaving the diving location.

However, the competent person supervising diving work may be remotely located to the dive site if there is a real-time technological solution and the PCBU is satisfied that it enables the competent person supervising the diving work to fulfill their duties. 

For scientific general diving, refer to the General diving – scientific research section.