Product Overview

Summary: This Cold Water Diving Procedures Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, step-by-step requirements for planning and conducting diving operations in cold and temperate Australian waters. It helps businesses control hypothermia, equipment, and environmental risks while demonstrating compliance with WHS duties and relevant diving standards.

Cold water diving presents a unique combination of physiological, environmental, and equipment-related risks that can rapidly escalate into life-threatening incidents if not tightly controlled. In Australian conditions, divers may be exposed to low water temperatures, strong currents, limited visibility, and remote locations, often while operating complex tools or conducting detailed scientific or inspection tasks. This SOP provides a structured, defensible framework for planning, authorising, and carrying out cold water dives in a way that prioritises diver safety and operational reliability.

The document guides you through the entire lifecycle of a cold water dive: pre‑planning and risk assessment, fitness-to-dive checks, equipment selection and configuration for low temperatures, communication protocols, in‑water procedures, and post‑dive monitoring. It addresses practical issues such as thermal protection, gas management in cold conditions, emergency retrieval, and managing remote or vessel-based operations. By implementing this SOP, organisations can reduce the likelihood of hypothermia, decompression incidents, and equipment failures, while also providing clear evidence of due diligence under Australian WHS legislation and diving standards.

Key Benefits

• Ensure cold water dives are planned and executed in line with Australian WHS obligations and recognised diving standards.
• Reduce the risk of hypothermia, cold shock, and decompression-related injuries through structured controls and monitoring.
• Standardise dive team roles, communications, and emergency responses across all cold water operations.
• Improve reliability of dive equipment in low-temperature environments through mandated checks and maintenance routines.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients, and insurers with a documented, repeatable safety procedure.

Who is this for?

• Dive Supervisors
• Commercial Divers
• Scientific Divers
• Marine Project Managers
• WHS Managers
• Offshore Construction Supervisors
• Defence and Emergency Services Dive Coordinators
• Aquaculture Operations Managers
• Environmental Consultants conducting field dives

Hazards Addressed

• Hypothermia and cold stress
• Cold shock response on water entry
• Reduced dexterity and impaired decision-making due to low temperatures
• Decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism
• Barotrauma (ears, sinuses, lungs)
• Equipment malfunction or free‑flow in cold conditions
• Loss of visibility and disorientation under water
• Entrapment or entanglement in underwater structures or lines
• Strong currents and adverse sea state
• Boat strike and surface traffic hazards
• Fatigue and overexertion in cold environments
• Emergency evacuation delays from remote or offshore locations

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Applicable Dive Types
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Diver, Dive Supervisor, Standby Diver, Surface Support)
• 4.0 Competency, Licensing and Medical Fitness Requirements
• 5.0 Planning Cold Water Diving Operations
• 6.0 Risk Assessment and Job Safety Analysis for Cold Conditions
• 7.0 Environmental and Weather Assessment (Temperature, Currents, Visibility)
• 8.0 Required Plant, Equipment and Thermal Protection
• 9.0 Pre‑Dive Equipment Inspection and Function Testing
• 10.0 Personal Protective Equipment (Drysuits, Undergarments, Gloves, Hoods)
• 11.0 Gas Management and Breathing Apparatus Requirements
• 12.0 Dive Briefing and Communication Protocols
• 13.0 Entry, Descent, Work and Ascent Procedures in Cold Water
• 14.0 Surface Support, Standby Diver and Rescue Readiness
• 15.0 Decompression Management and Use of Dive Tables/Computers
• 16.0 Monitoring for Cold Stress, Hypothermia and Fatigue
• 17.0 Emergency Procedures and Diver Recovery
• 18.0 First Aid, Rewarming and Medical Referral Requirements
• 19.0 Remote and Vessel-Based Diving Considerations
• 20.0 Post‑Dive De‑brief, Documentation and Incident Reporting
• 21.0 Equipment Decontamination, Maintenance and Storage
• 22.0 Training, Induction and Refresher Requirements
• 23.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement of the SOP

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS legislation
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) – provisions relating to remote and isolated work, high risk work and emergency plans
• AS/NZS 2299.1: Occupational diving operations – Standard operational practice
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment (relevant to surface-supplied breathing apparatus management)
• Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice
• Safe Work Australia – First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice
• Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) requirements for commercial vessel operations (where diving is vessel-based)
• Relevant state and territory diving and marine safety guidelines (e.g. Worksafe, SafeWork, Maritime authorities)