Alert: Diving

• ISSN: 1195-5228
• Issued: July 1997
• Content last reviewed: June 2009

Hazard Summary

The Ministry of Labour wants to ensure that qualified and competent divers are being used by all insurance companies to recover submerged property and that insurance companies are aware of their responsibility to notify the ministry of a diving operation. Failure to comply creates the potential for a serious accident.

Locations and Sector

Wherever diving operations are being conducted for an insurance company and the Regulations for Diving Operations apply.

Prevention

Note:

The insurance company would be considered either the "employer" or the "owner" depending on the contractual arrangement. As the "employer" or the "owner" the company has very specific obligations to ensure that the diving crew are competent and that the ministry is properly notified of the operation.

Diving Crew

As the "employer" or "owner", the insurance company must ensure that "one or more competent persons are appointed as diving supervisors for the diving operation".

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act a competent person "means a person who,

1. is qualified because of knowledge, training and experience to organize the work and its performance,
2. is familiar with the Act and the regulations that apply to the work, and
3. has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace".

In addition, the Regulation for Diving Operations states there must be a minimum of three competent members of the dive team–a diver, a standby diver and a diving tender. All divers must have undergone a medical examination during the 24 month period preceding the dive and carry a written statement from a doctor that states the diver is fit for occupational diving.

Notification

The insurance company must notify the Ministry of Labour about the proposed dive before the diving operation commences by either faxing a completed "Notice for Commercial Diving Operations" form to the ministry or verbally advising the appropriate staff of the dive. (The form is available at the ministry office.)

Ministry of Labour Contacts

Eastern/Northern/Central

John Mitchell,
Provincial Diving Specialist: 347 Preston Street, 4^th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 3J4
Tel: 1-800-267-1916 / 613-727-2893
Fax: 613-727-2900

Western

Russell Blissett,
Diving Specialist: 155 Frobisher Drive, Unit G213
Waterloo ON N2V 2E1
Tel: 1-800-265-2468 / 519-885-3378
Fax: 519-883-5694