Commercial Diving and Underwater Work SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers commercial diving and underwater work, from dive planning and vessel setup through underwater tasks, diver recovery and demobilisation. It supports planning and risk management for diving conditions, equipment, communications, marine hazards and emergency response.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Plan the dive operation, conditions and emergency response
• Establish a controlled work zone around the vessel and dive area
• Position the vessel and plant, and manage anchors and equipment
• Inspect diving equipment, air supply and communications
• Brief the team, allocate tasks and prepare diver support
• Manage water entry, descent and underwater communications
• Carry out underwater sampling, grouting and salvage work
• Manage confined underwater areas and marine-life encounters
• Recover divers, manage ascent and complete demobilisation

Who is this for?

For contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out commercial diving and underwater work.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations, including duties to manage risks, provide information, training, instruction, supervision and safe plant, and requirements applying to diving work, construction work, hazardous chemicals, confined spaces and emergency arrangements.
• Model WHS Regulations, Part 4.8 Diving Work, as guidance only; it addresses medical fitness, competency and diving-work knowledge requirements.
• Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks, as adopted or applied in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Model Code of Practice: Construction work, as adopted or applied in the relevant jurisdiction; diving work and work near water with drowning risk are listed high-risk construction work categories.
• Model Code of Practice: Confined spaces, as adopted or applied in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks, as adopted or applied in the relevant jurisdiction.
• AS/NZS 2299.1:2015 Occupational diving operations—Standard operational practice.
• AS/NZS 2815 Training and certification of occupational divers.
• AS 2030.1 Gas cylinders—General requirements.
• AS/NZS 1715 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment, where respiratory protection is required.
• AS/NZS 1337.1 Personal eye-protection, AS/NZS 1801 Occupational protective helmets, AS/NZS 2210.3 Safety footwear and AS/NZS 4602.1 High-visibility safety garments, where applicable.
• Occupational Diving Work Code of Practice 2005, where recognised or applied by the relevant jurisdiction; it identifies environmental, task, physiological, associated-activity, marine-life and emergency-response factors for pre-dive risk assessment.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections