BSAC Technical Publications - Safe Diving Practices I-P LEARNING TO DIVE MEMBER SERVICES TECHNICAL SERVICES FORUMS BSAC WORLD SNORKELLING MAIL SHOP NEWS TECHNICAL SERVICESSearch the BSAC Site: sitemap BSAC TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS SAFE DIVING PRACTICES I-P A-C | D-H | Q-Z | Code of Conduct | Rebreathers Ice Diving See No Clear Surface. Incidents See Accidents/Incidents. Insurance Membership of the BSAC automatically gives worldwide Public Liability insurance cover of up to £5,000,000 when the member is engaged in diving or diving related activities. This cover is available to all BSAC members regardless of where they are domiciled, and cover applies as soon as membership is confirmed/renewed. This is considered to be the earlier of when the Branch issues a temporary membership receipt to that member, or when the membership details are included on the BSAC's membership database at BSAC Headquarters. Cover also includes any qualified diving guests of the insured, prior to becoming a full member, whilst participating in the activities of any Branch to which the policy applies, as well as any intended member undergoing preliminary training. Both of these extensions are naturally subject to certain time limits, and further details on the policy can be obtained from BSAC Headquarters. Cover is not restricted to only BSAC organised events or when the member is diving with other BSAC members. The general rule is that if the member is also a member of another diving association and is participating in a dive organised by this other association, then that association's own public liability insurance policy should respond. If mixtures of individuals from various organisations are diving with an independent organiser then the BSAC policy will respond to that BSAC member. Organised social events such as shows, barbecues, bonfire parties and other fund raising events are covered. However the policy does not cover personal or Branch diving equipment or boats, and it is a constitutional rule of the BSAC that all boats used for Branch diving, whether privately owned or not, must be insured for Third Party risks with a minimum indemnity limit as recommended by the BSAC, currently at £5,000,000. If water skiing is included in Branch activities, additional cover is also required. It is important to note that potential incidents should be reported to the BSAC using the BSAC incident Reporting System, and further details on this system, and the insurance policy itself can be obtained by contacting Technical Support Services at BSAC Headquarters. Legislation With the exception of requirements relating to cylinders (see Cylinders) and the law which protects historic wreck sites, there are no laws or government regulations in the UK about the way in which the sport of diving must be conducted. However, if you dive for money or reward, even using recreational techniques and equipment, you are considered to be a professional diver and are subject to the requirements of the Diving at Work Regulations - 1997. These regulations require a diving medical issued by a medical examiner approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and impose detailed safety requirements on all diving operations. Amateur divers must be aware that any job of work carried out for anything other than essential expenses e.g. petrol or air costs, would be considered subject to the requirements of the Regulations. It does not matter whether the money or gifts are presented to the divers or their Branch, this would still be seen by the HSE as diving at work. Even jobs of work undertaken for true expenses are seen by professional divers as 'stealing their work' and will often be a source of aggravation. The regulations recognise that different techniques are used by the different sectors of the diving industry, and there are five separate Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) covering Offshore Diving, Inshore Diving, Scientific and Archaeological Diving, Recreational Diving and Media Diving. Divers working professionally have to comply with the requirements of the relevant Code of Practice. Those teaching sport diving professionally must comply with the 'Recreational Diving' ACoP. Appropriate BSAC qualifications have been approved by the HSE for activities covered by this Code. Medical Examination Divers should ensure they are fit and healthy to dive and diver training or diving must not be undertaken until the diver has completed an annual Medical self-declaration form on renewal of membership. If the diver has no underlying medical condition that would potentially prevent them from diving safely, they may sign the form and a copy should be retained in Branch records. If a member has an underlying medical condition or query, telephone contact should be made with a Medical Referee for further advice. (Forms and Medical Referee list available from BSAC HQ or can be downloaded from the BSAC Website) Branch Diving Officers should ask for proof of current self-declaration status when members transfer to them from another Branch. If any member has been the subject of a decompression accident they must not commence diving again until medical clearance has been obtained from a UK Sports Diving Medical Committee approved Referee. Some countries have local regulations that may require a medical examination so it is worth checking before travelling and diving abroad. Potential new members who are undergoing the 'Experience Scuba' introductory course should be asked to sign a disclaimer, which states they have not suffered from diseases or conditions which would make aqualung diving hazardous. Mixed Gases The terminology 'mixed gas' can encompass many types of gases a diver could use. However it is generally accepted that the term 'mixed gas' usually means adding Helium to the breathing mix and Trimix (oxygen, helium and nitrogen) is the most commonly used mixture. The BSAC recommends that mixed gas diving should be to a maximum depth of 70 metres and that all participating divers should hold a suitable qualification from one of the recognized training agencies and register this qualification with the BSAC. All divers wishing to undertake a Trimix course should hold a minimum qualification of Dive Leader and Extended Range Diver. All divers should be aware that mixed gas diving, with it greater depths, increases the element of risk. It is important that divers are not only suitably trained and qualified but gain depth experience and dive fitness in a progressive way. Neutral Buoyancy Neutral buoyancy is achieved when the diver is able to remain in a static position in the water and rises or falls as a result of breathing in and out. Comfortable diving means the achievement of neutral buoyancy, if required, at any stage of the dive. Correct weighting is critical to gaining neutral buoyancy easily, the diver should carry just enough weight to hold a 6m decompression stop with a nearly empty cylinder. The NDC strongly recommend that where a drysuit is being worn, the drysuit is used to maintain neutral buoyancy underwater. Night Diving Night diving, especially in tidal waters, requires very careful planning. Each diver should have a working torch otherwise the dive should be terminated. Each diver should carry a backup torch or some other means of identifying their position if their main torch fails. An efficient system of marking the point of exit must be employed. Care must be taken with diver to diver signals to ensure that the torch is not shone directly into the diver's eyes. Nitrogen Narcosis Nitrogen Narcosis decreases a person's ability to cope with emergencies, slows down reaction and realisation time and increases the risk of an accident. There is strong evidence to suggest that 40m should be regarded as the maximum depth for most sports divers, as below this depth narcosis problems can become debilitating. Nitrox The use of Nitrox (nitrogen/oxygen mixtures where the oxygen content is greater than that of air) as a breathing gas can provide a safety benefit in terms of a reduced risk of decompression illness, or enable longer dive times/shorter decompression stop requirements with no added risk. The use of Nitrox has certain disadvantages which require training and suitable equipment to minimise the risk. Properly trained and qualified BSAC members are permitted to use Nitrox on Branch dives, with the approval of the Dive Marshal. The BSAC provides a range of courses and qualifications in Nitrox diving. The BSAC recommends a maximum partial pressure for oxygen exposure when diving of 1.4 bar. This figure will determine the Maximum Operating Depth for any Nitrox mixture. Failure to observe the Maximum Operating Depth for any gas mixture may have fatal consequences due to the onset of oxygen toxicity. (See Cylinders (Nitrox and Mixed Gas)). No Clear Surface (Cave Diving, Ice Diving, Diving inside Wrecks) Members wishing to dive in caves should contact the appropriate cave diving organisations, as this is very specialised diving, in terms of technique and equipment, and is not covered in BSAC diver training. Diving under ice should only be undertaken with a surface party of at least two. This allows one to tender the divers, while the other is free, if required for any reason, including an emergency. One of the divers must be securely roped to the surface, if diving in pairs, and contact between them should be by means of a buddy line. Wrecks should not be penetrated without proper training and equipment. (See Wreck Diving) Odd Numbers It is very strongly recommended that diving in 'odd numbers' be avoided, as the 'odd man out', to some extent, is without a buddy. (See Buddy Diving). Oxygen The administration of 100% pure oxygen following a decompression accident is recognised as an effective FIRST AID TREATMENT and may result in much less serious injuries. It SHOULD NEVER be regarded as a substitute for recompression, which is the only effective treatment in such cases. Members who have taken part in appropriate training courses and who have approved equipment, are recommended to use oxygen to treat divers showing symptoms of decompression illness, while they are waiting for recompression treatment. Where 100% oxygen is unavailable as a therapy gas, a Nitrox mixture may be used, although the benefit will be much less than that of pure oxygen. The recommendation for using Nitrox 80 as an open circuit decompression gas was not in opposition to using 100% oxygen but more to take advantage of the increased safety of using a weaker Nitrox mix as a decompression gas. This weaker mix of Nitrox 80 can be used safely at deeper depths, which allows for a faster and therefore shorter decompression schedule. If comparative schedules are run on any decompression software the enhancement of the off gassing phase will be clearly identified. (See also document entitled: Use of 100% oxygen and BSAC's recommendation for maximum ppO2: http://www.bsac.org/techserv/o2use0304.htm) See also Rebreathers. PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale) During pregnancy the right and left sides of the foetal heart are connected. The hole between the right and left sides is known as the Foramen Ovale. Normally this should heal over after birth, separating the venous and arterial blood supplies passing through the heart. However in a proportion of the population (perhaps 25%) this hole does not close up completely, resulting in a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). The consequence for divers is that having a PFO can increase the risk of decompression illness. This occurs as a result of bubbles in the venous circulation (which would normally be filtered out in the lungs) shunting across to the arterial circulation, where they continue to expand in size. Pots and Markers Dive well away from fishermen's buoys, pots and pot markers, unless there are special circumstances. Pregnancy Medical evidence as to the safety of diving whilst pregnant is not conclusive. However there is evidence that deep diving may cause harm to the foetus. Certainly decompression illness and its subsequent treatment could be harmful to the foetus. Consequently if a woman is pregnant, or is trying to become pregnant, she is strongly advised not to dive. The women who decide they wish to continue to dive whilst pregnant, or trying to become pregnant, should only undertake shallow dives, ideally less than 10m and no deeper than 20m, and remain well inside no-stop times. Even at shallow depths there remains a risk of pulmonary barotrauma which could require recompression treatment and cause harm to the foetus. If a woman discovers she is pregnant and has been diving during the pregnancy, she is advised to discuss her case with a BSAC Medical Referee. The scientific evidence is not clear cut and ultrasound studies, together with other indications, may be useful to allay fears and help in the decision as to how the pregnancy should be managed. Propeller Guards A propeller guard, fitted to an outboard motor, gives a degree of protection from injuries to divers. Before fitting a propeller guard, take note of the manufacturer's recommendations and instructions, as it is possible to cause stress to the gear box and low end of the engine. Some loss of power may result from fitting a propeller guard. A-C | D-H | I-P | Q-Z OTHER BSAC TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS ©2003 BSAC | Home Page | Member Services | Technical Services | News