Commercial diving projects offshore

Diving at Work Regulations 1997. Approved Code of Practice and guidance

This Approved Code of Practice and associated guidance provides practical advice and sets out what you have to do to comply with the requirements of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997.    

This Code applies to all diving projects:

• at sea outside the United Kingdom territorial waters adjacent to Great Britain (generally 12 nautical miles from the low water line), which are covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2013. This will include all diving operations in UK designated areas of the continental shelf undertaken in connection with offshore installations, energy structures, eg wind farms, emerging energy technologies (EETs), wells and pipeline works, and with those parts of mines which extend outside the 12-mile limit;
• at sea off or in connection with pipelines and structures used by the oil and gas industry within the 12-mile limit;
• where closed bell or saturation diving techniques are used (both offshore and inshore);
• where diving takes place from vessels maintaining station by the use of dynamic positioning; and
• for all dives below 50 metres except for those diving projects covered by the following Approved Codes of Practice:
  • media diving projects;
  • recreational diving projects; and
  • scientific and archaeological diving projects.

This edition of the Approved Code of Practice has been revised in order to simplify some of the information, update the references and provide greater consistency across all of the Codes of Practice covering diving at work. This document has also been updated to reflect changes in technology and industry practice. The most significant changes relate to:

• Closed bell projects. Clarification of bell run duration is addressed and the requirement for a refreshment break has been included. 
• Fitness to dive. Further information has been provided for divers regarding medical treatment, medical conditions or medication being taken, that may make them unfit to dive.
• Bell operations. Clarification of the requirements for a surface standby diver is provided.
• Partial pressure of oxygen. The maximum recommended partial pressure of oxygen for breathing gases has been changed to 1.4 bar and there is new information on the use of decompression procedures requiring higher levels of oxygen.