Canada Oil and Gas Diving Regulations

"ADS" means a one-person submarine, the one-atmosphere compartment of a diving submersible or an atmospheric diving system, capable of withstanding external pressures greater than atmospheric pressure and within which the internal pressure remains at atmospheric pressure; (SPA)

"air diver" means a diver who dives to a depth of 50 m or less, using air as a breathing mixture, except in circumstances involving decompression, medical treatment or emergencies; (plongeur utilisant de l'air)

"certificate of medical fitness" means a certificate issued by a diving doctor or a specialized diving doctor pursuant to subsection 19(2); (certificat d'aptitude médicale)

(a) dives to a depth greater than 50 m using breathing mixtures of gases other than air;

(b) uses saturation diving techniques requiring either air or a mixture of breathing gases other than air; and

(c) has achieved a level of training and experience which permits diving to be undertaken in a manner that is unrestricted in respect of

(i) the depth of any dive;

(ii) the type of equipment employed in a dive; or

(iii) the diving techniques necessary to facilitate a dive; (plongeur en profondeur)

"dive plan" means a document which is prepared in accordance with subsection 12(1)(b); (plan de plongée)

(a) contracts to personally perform dives in a diving operation or diving program, or

(b) employs divers engaged in a diving operation or a diving program; (entrepreneur en plongée)

"diving craft" includes any self-propelled, tethered, towed or bottom contact apparatus, vessel, hovercraft, semi-submersible, diving submersible, submarine or floating platform from which diving takes place, other than a permanent installation or fixture; (véhicule de plongée)

"diving doctor" means a doctor designated pursuant to subsection 19(1); (médecin de plongée)

"diving operation" means any work or activity which is a part of a diving program which

(a) occurs within the period of time which

(i) begins with the preparation for the submersion of a diver, an ADS or a diving craft, into water,

(ii) continues while that diver, ADS or diving craft is subjected to a level of pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, and

(iii) ends when the diver, the ADS or diving craft emerge from the water into air at sea level, and is no longer subject to pressures greater than atmospheric pressure and, in accordance with the relevant schedule in the appropriate decompression table, has normal inert gas pressure in the diver's body;

(b) is associated with a dive or which takes place during a dive;

(d) relates to the activities of any person who assists a diver or pilot involved in a dive; (opération de plongée)

"diving program" means any work or activity related to the exploration, production, conservation, processing or transportation of oil or gas, which involves a diving operation; (programme de plongée)

"diving plant and equipment" includes all of the components and facilities used in connection with a diving operation which are essential to maintain the health and safety of the diver or pilot; (matériel de plongée)

(a) in respect of air diving, has obtained five years of experience as an air diver, has performed supervision of air diving in a diving operation for an additional period of at least five years, and has obtained adequate training in the technical, operational, regulatory, management and safety aspects of air diving programs; or

(b) in respect of deep sea diving, has obtained five years of experience as a deep sea diver, has performed supervision of deep sea diving in a diving operation for an additional period of at least five years, and has obtained adequate training in the technical, operational, regulatory, management and safety aspects of deep sea diving programs; (spécialiste de la sécurité en plongée)

"operator" means a person who has received an authorization pursuant to subsection 4(2) of the Act; (exploitant)

"specialized diving doctor" means a diving doctor designated under subsection 19(3); (médecin de plongée spécialisé)

"supervisor" means a person designated as a supervisor by a diving contractor pursuant to subsection 13(1); (directeur).

3.(1) These regulations apply to all diving programs in Canada to which the Act applies.

(2) For the purpose of these regulations, a dive occurs if any person, other than a specialized diving doctor, enters the water or a chamber, and is subjected to internal pressures in excess of 100 millibars above atmospheric pressure.

4.(1) Unless a diving program authorization has been obtained from the Chief, no operator shall

(a) conduct a diving program;

(b) carry on a diving operation; or

(2) An operator shall apply to the Chief for a diving program authorization and shall submit a dive plan with the application.

(a) require that additional approvals be obtained, prior to making a decision respecting an application for a dive program authorization.

(b) approve or refuse, in writing, an application for a diving program authorization.

5.(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Chief may suspend or revoke a diving program authorization.

(2) No suspension or revocation of a diving program authorization shall occur unless notice has been given to the operator of a diving program and the Chief has given the operator an opportunity to make submissions respecting the suspension or revocation.

6.(1) Unless the operator of a diving program obtains the prior approval of the Chief , no operator shall use equipment, personnel, methods, measures or standards which do not comply with these regulations.

(2) The operator making an application pursuant to subsection (1) shall detail the manner in which the equipment, personnel, methods, measures or standards proposed will provide the equivalent level of safety and protection of the environment to that provided by compliance with these regulations.

(3) The Chief shall approve an application made pursuant to subsection (1), if the equipment, personnel, methods, measures or standards proposed provide for a level of safety or protection of the environment equivalent to that provided by compliance with these regulations.

7. The operator of a diving program shall maintain control over and be responsible for all aspects of a diving program.

(a) any diving program or any diving operation, which is part of a diving program, is carried out in a manner that will protect the health and safety of all participating persons;

(b) sufficient qualified competent persons are employed to safely carry out the dive plan in any diving program or diving operation;

(c) each diving contractor, diving safety specialist, supervisor, diver, pilot and any other person involved in any diving program or diving operation

(i) has the knowledge and training to carry out the task to which the person is assigned, and

(ii) complies with the dive plan and these regulations;

(d) suitable and sufficient plant and equipment are available, when required, to carry out safely and without risk to health, both the diving program and any action which may be necessary in the event of a reasonably foreseeable emergency connected with the diving program;

(e) the diving plant and equipment have been certified by an organization, a classification society, a certifying agency, a group of persons or an individual, acceptable to the Chief, to be

(i) of adequate strength,

(ii) free from patent defects,

(iii) of sound construction,

(iv) in good working order, and

(v) maintained in safe and effective working condition;

(f) a dive plan is prepared in respect of the diving program.

(a) designate, in writing, a diving safety specialist qualified in respect of air diving or deep sea diving, as appropriate, with respect to the diving program to be undertaken;

(b) not designate a diving safety specialist who is qualified only in air diving if the diving program involves deep sea diving;

(c) ensure that a diving safety specialist designated under subsection (1) shall be readily available to advise the operator, and any person involved in the diving program or the diving operation, on all safety aspects related to the diving program or diving operation;

(d) designate, in writing, a specialized diving doctor, who shall be located within a reasonable traveling distance and traveling time from the dive work site;

(e) review and sign each entry in the supervisor's diving logbook for each separate dive on each day which a dive takes place.

10.(1) No person shall undertake a diving program and no operator shall employ any person as a diver unless the operator of a diving program designates, in writing, a diving contractor for the purposes of the diving program.

(2) Where the operator of a diving program engages more than one diving contractor, the operator shall designate, in writing, only one of the contractors to act as the diving contractor.

(3) The diving contractor shall designate, in writing, a diving safety specialist qualified in respect of air diving or deep sea diving, as appropriate with respect to the diving program to be undertaken.

(4) The diving contractor shall not designate a diving safety specialist who is qualified in air diving if the diving program involves deep sea diving.

(5) The diving contractor shall ensure that a diving safety specialist designated under subsection (3) shall be readily available to advise the operator and any person involved in the diving program or a diving operation on all safety aspects related to the diving program or diving operation.

(a) maintain a diving program record in writing, or in an electronically retrievable form, and retain the diving program record for three years after the date of the recording of the last entry;

(b) update, on a daily basis, the diving program record which shall contain sufficient detail and particulars to fully summarize all relevant activities of the diving program;

(c) conduct a risk assessment of the dive work site and identify the risks to the health or safety of divers and any other persons engaged in the diving program;

(d) prepare a dive plan for the diving program which addresses the risks.

(a) the result of a risk assessment of the dive site including the hazards and conditions likely to be encountered by divers and other persons taking part in the diving program;

(b) the number of persons necessary to carry out the dive plan safely and their qualifications and training;

(c) the name of the diving safety specialist, the training and qualifications of that specialist and whether the specialist is designated with respect to air diving or deep sea diving;

(d) the diving practices applicable to the diving program;

(e) the types of diving plant and equipment necessary to carry out the dive plan safely;

(f) the training to be provided to persons taking part in the diving program;

(g) any other information or instructions necessary to govern the conduct of persons taking part in the diving program.

(2) Where the diving program consists of more than one diving operation, the dive plan shall identify the diving operations which make up the diving program.

(a) designate, in writing, a supervisor for a diving program, but a supervisor shall be appointed to supervise only those parts of a diving program for which an appointment was made and only in respect of an activity which can be safely supervised by one person.

(b) designate as supervisor only a person who meets the relevant requirements of CSA Standard Z275.4, entitled "Competency Standard for Diving Operations", as amended from time to time, or an acceptable, comparable standard approved by the Chief pursuant to subsection 6(3) and who is qualified to perform the functions of a supervisor in respect of a diving program or diving operation.

(c) provide each supervisor with a copy of the dive plan, or a part of it, which concerns the diving operation that is to be supervised by that supervisor.

(a) exercise direct personal control over every diving program or diving operation, which has been assigned to the supervisor;

(b) ensure that each diving operation is carried out without risk to the health and safety of persons taking part in the diving operation;

(d) ensure that each person taking part in a diving operation has received training with respect to the dive plan for that diving operation;

(e) review and countersign an entry in the diver's diving logbook for each separate dive on each day which a dive takes place;

(f) maintain a supervisor's diving logbook, in writing; and

(g) retain the supervisor's diving logbook for two years after the date of recording of the last entry.

16. A supervisor may give such directions, as deemed necessary in the circumstances, in accordance with the dive plan, to any person engaged in a diving operation to which that supervisor has been assigned.

(a) meet the relevant requirements of CSA Standard Z275.4, entitled "Competency Standard for Diving Operations", as amended from time to time, or an acceptable, comparable standard approved by the Chief pursuant to subsection 6(3); and

(b) hold a valid certificate of medical fitness to dive.

(a) report any condition, that could affect the diver's ability to dive safely, to the supervisor; and

(b) be competent to carry out, in a safe manner, and without any risk to health, the necessary activity while engaged in the diving program.

(3) A pilot who operates an ADS and who is engaged in a diving operation shall meet the relevant requirements of CSA Standard Z275.4, entitled "Competency Standard for Diving Operations", as amended from time to time, or an acceptable, comparable standard approved by the Chief pursuant to subsection 6(3).

(a) an instruction contained in a dive plan; and

(b) a direction of the supervisor.

(a) maintain a diving logbook, in writing, of each separate dive on each day which a dive takes place; and

(b) retain the diving logbook for two years after the date of the last entry.

19.(1) The Chief may designate, in writing, a doctor who is eligible to practice medicine in a province in Canada and who has completed a course in diving medicine, acceptable to the Chief, as a diving doctor.

(2) A diving doctor may, after an examination of a diver, issue a medical certificate of fitness to dive.

(3) The Chief may designate , in writing, a doctor who is eligible to practice medicine in a province in Canada and who has completed an advanced diving medical course, acceptable to the Chief, as a specialized diving doctor.

(a) after an examination of a diver, issue a medical certificate of fitness to dive; and

(b) provide medical assistance in circumstances where pressures are greater than atmospheric pressure.

(a) state the length of time, not exceeding 12 months, during which the diver will, in the opinion of the doctor, remains medically fit to dive; and

(b) state any medical limitations, restrictions, conditions or requirements in respect of the type, category, length of time or other aspect of diving which should, in the opinion of the doctor, be imposed on that diver.

(2) A certificate of medical fitness to dive may be revoked at any time by a diving doctor or by a specialized diving doctor.

(3) No diver shall dive in a manner that contravenes any limitation, restriction, condition or requirement contained in the diver's certificate of medical fitness.

21.(1) Any authorization granted by lawful authority, pursuant to the Canada Oil and Gas Diving Regulations, shall cease to be in force upon the enactment of these regulations, except for certificates of medical fitness.

Canada Oil and Gas Diving Regulations

DRAFT