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Diving signalling devices

Dive Operators – Did you know?

The Compressed Air Recreational Diving and Recreational Snorkelling Code of Practice 2005 requires that Certificated Divers be supplied with a high visibility signalling device eg. safety sausage and an audible signalling device eg. whistle.

It also requires that this equipment be checked before diving starts and be in good repair. Recent studies have found that folding day-glo yellow flags raised above the water are also a most reliable and cost effective high visibility signalling device consistently spotted at sea between 2 and up to 3 kms away.

Purpose
Background
The problem
Legislation
Discussion
Recommendations
References
Further information

Purpose

To alert recreational dive operators who as part of their business or undertaking, supply emergency signalling devices to certified recreational divers.

Background

Past events in Queensland involving certified recreational divers who have become separated from their dive vessel have highlighted issues with the maintenance of the emergency signalling devices that had been supplied.

The problem

The experience of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, suggests that plastic-film type safety sausages have a higher likelihood of developing holes even when unused. Devices of this type require frequent inspections to ensure their integrity.

Legislation

The Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 places obligations on employers and self-employed persons to ensure the health and safety of workers, others and themselves as a result of their business or undertaking.

Additionally, if a Code of Practice states a way of managing a particular risk, an obligation holder may only discharge their obligation by either:

  1. Adopting and following a stated way that manages exposure to the risk; or
  2. Adopting and following another way that gives the same level of protection against the risk.

“Equipment for diving” is identified in section 1.3.6 of the Compressed Air Recreational Diving & Recreational Snorkelling Code of Practice 2005.

Section 1.3.6A “All divers” states:

The employer / Self-employed person should ensure diving equipment supplied to divers is;

  1. suitable for the type of diving being undertaken and of sufficient quality to ensure it performs effectively for the wearer
  2. checked before diving starts to ensure it is in safe working condition
  3. cleaned and kept in good repair
  4. maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications.

Sections 1.3.6D “Certified divers” and 1.3.6E “Diving workers” states that these divers should wear:

  1. emergency signalling equipment, including a high visibility signalling device, for example, a safety sausage; and an audible signalling device, for example, a whistle.

Additionally, section 86D of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 requires recreational dive operators to have at least 1 person solely engaged as a lookout who must be positioned out of the water where they can see the whole area where the dive is taking place.

Discussion

Divers can become separated from their buddies and /or the dive vessel. In less than ideal conditions this separation time period can be critical to the successful recovery of separated divers.

Numerous dive-safety articles regarding emergency signalling devices have been published in recent years and concerns have been raised about the many small, simplistic devices used by divers.

Resulting comments suggest that these simpler devices may provide a false sense of security, rather than an actual factor of safety. Incidents involving the use of safety sausages identified the common denominator to be the ability of divers to maintain the inflation of the device.

Studies of incidents involving surface signalling devices identified poor design and manufacturing materials as the major contributing factors to failures.

Most incidents involving searches for certified divers have involved divers diving in unsupervised groups or buddy pairs. Additionally, certain forms of higher risk certified diving, i.e. unsupervised, remote and current -prone locations e.g. Coral Sea warrants special consideration of higher visibility devices. The equipment required will vary as a result of factors including dive location, currents, surface conditions, visibility and the number of divers.

There are a number of devices available on the market that assists operators and divers to locate or be located in emergency situations. Such equipment includes;

Recommendations

Dive operators should review the equipment supplied to certified divers and workers to ensure;

References

Acott, C. 457 Equipment Incident Reports, SPUMS Journal, Vol. 31, no.4, Dec 2001.
Davies, D. Diver Location Devices, SPUMS Journal, Vol. 28, no.3, Dec 1998.
Goldberg, L., Hoover , P. Surface Support, Sport Diver Magazine, Nov/Dec 2000, electronically retrieved 23/09/05 .
Wallbank, A. Can Anybody See Me?, SPUMS Journal, Vol. 31, no.2, Sept 2001.

Further information

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
Phone: 1300 369 915

Last updated May 3, 2006