The aim of this best practice guideline is to assist divers employed in the aquaculture industry and their employers to manage the health and safety risks associated with diving. The guideline details preferred work practices and standards for aquaculture divers involved in snorkelling, SCUBA and SSBA (surface supplied breathing apparatus).

Table of Contents

Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Acknowledgements: Foreword; Notice of Issue
1.2 Guideline Overview, Objective, Scope
1.3 Scope of Diving Duties: General Aquaculture; Finfish; Shellfish & Plant Farming
1.4 Dive Guidelines: SCUBA; Snorkel Diving, SSBA
Chapter 2 Legislation
2.1 Summary - Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
2.2 Regulations and Guidance
2.3 Employers' Duties Under the Act
2.4 Information for Employees
2.5 Recording and Notifying Accidents and Serious Harm
2.6 Employers, Principals and Those who Control Workplaces
2.7 Protection for Volunteers
Chapter 3 Training, Qualifications, Dive Team and Maintaining Records
3.1 Training and Certification: Diver
3.2 Training & Certification: First Aid & Emergency Oxygen,
Medical Certification & Emergency Training
3.3 Dive Team Personnel: Description and Duties - Dive Supervisor,
Diver, Standby Diver, Dive Leader, Buddy Diver, Dive Attendant
3.4 Maintaining Personnel Records
3.5 Maintaining Plant Records
Chapter 4 Standards and Apparatus in Aquaculture Diving
4.1 Standards for Equipment used in Aquaculture Diving
4.2 Diving Apparatus and General Equipment
4.3 Selected Diving Equipment
Chapter 5 Emergency Procedures and Equipment
5.1 Diving Emergency Procedures and Plans
Chapter 6 Dive Planning
6.1 Organisation and Planning - Pre Dive Assessment
6.2 Pre-Dive Assessment for Dive Plan
Chapter 7 SCUBA Diving - Aquaculture Industry
7.1 General Aquaculture Diving
7.2 Diving for Shellfish Farming, Plant Farming and Finfish Farming
Chapter 8 Snorkel Diving
8.1 Duty of Care, Responsibilities, Requirements
Chapter 9 Surface Air Supply Diving - SSBA
9.1 Usage, Requirements, Standards
Glossary
Appendix I Dive Plan and Forms
A Dive plan - dive team details form
B Diving plan form
C Diving record form
D Hazard assessment and risk control form
E Risk control
F Hazard identification form to OSH
G Hazard notice
H Notification of accident / serious harm to OSH I MSA
I Accident investigation to OSH
J National emergency procedure
K Diving emergency evacuation procedure
L Application OSH Certificate of Competence
M SOP template
Appendix 2 Emergency Assistance Plans
A Stewart Island
B Akaroa Harbour
C Pigeon Bay
D Croisilles
E East Bay/Tory Channel
F Port Gore, Pelorus Sound and Admiralty Bay
Appendix 3 Signals
A Hand signals
B Lifeline signals
Appendix 4 Registers
First Aid register
Appendix 5 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Range of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for specific aquaculture industry diving tasks
A Underwater inspection on marine farms
B Sampling, filming, surveying or data collection with direct access to surface
C Sampling, filming, surveying or data collection - indirect access to surface
D Search and recover a light object associated with a marine farm
E Locating and attaching a line to a sunken line
F Attachment of lifting rope to marine farm equipment for relocation
G Search, locate and attach a line to a heavy object associated with a marine farm
H Cleaning activities on marine farms
I Untangling ropes on marine farm or from boat propellers
J Dive to inspect and replace sacrificial anodes
K Using airlifts in 'mort' recovery in sea cages
L Dive to recover finfish 'morts' in sea cages
M Dive to untangle net weighting system of a sea cage
N Dive to inspect and mend a net of a sea cage
O Dive to stitch a drop panel of a sea cage
P Dive to scrape bio fouling from sea cage pontoon
Q Other minor replacement, repair and maintenance on a marine farm
R Untwisting droppers on a shellfish farm
S Using a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) for inspection
T Attaching air curtains for sea cages
U 'Idemaing' for water blasting finfish sea cage nets - SSBA only
V Using lifting bags
W Collection of by-catch from marine farms