Product Overview

Summary: This Pre-Dive Safety Checks Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, step-by-step process to verify diving equipment, environmental conditions and diver readiness before entering the water. It helps Australian organisations reduce the risk of diving incidents, support WHS compliance, and provide a consistent, auditable pre-dive safety regime for both occupational and training dives.

Diving operations expose workers to a unique combination of hazards, from equipment failure and poor gas management through to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Many serious diving incidents can be traced back to inadequate or inconsistent pre-dive checks. This Pre-Dive Safety Checks Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, repeatable process to verify that divers, equipment, and the dive plan are all fit for purpose before anyone enters the water. It turns what is often an informal routine into a documented, defensible system of work aligned with Australian WHS expectations.

The SOP walks your team through pre-dive planning, equipment inspection, buddy checks, communication protocols, emergency readiness, and final go/no-go decision-making. It supports compliance with relevant Australian Standards and Codes of Practice, while being practical enough for use on dive boats, shore-based sites, aquaculture facilities, scientific fieldwork and training environments. By implementing this procedure, businesses can demonstrate due diligence, standardise training, reduce the likelihood of preventable incidents, and give workers confidence that every dive starts with the same robust safety foundation.

Key Benefits

• Ensure a consistent, documented pre-dive check process across all dive teams and locations.
• Reduce the risk of equipment-related incidents through systematic inspection and function testing.
• Strengthen WHS compliance and due diligence by aligning pre-dive practices with Australian standards and guidance.
• Improve diver situational awareness and communication through structured buddy and team checks.
• Support faster, more effective emergency response by verifying rescue equipment, roles and signals before each dive.

Who is this for?

• Dive Supervisors
• Occupational Divers
• Scientific Divers
• Commercial Diving Contractors
• Recreational Dive Instructors
• Dive Boat Skippers
• WHS Managers
• Maritime Operations Managers
• Aquaculture Site Supervisors
• Emergency Response Team Leaders

Hazards Addressed

• Equipment malfunction or failure underwater (regulators, BCDs, valves, hoses, gauges)
• Incorrect gas supply, cylinder pressures or gas mixes for planned depth and duration
• Entrapment or entanglement due to poorly configured or unsecured equipment
• Barotrauma and decompression illness associated with inadequate pre-dive planning
• Loss of buddy contact or communication breakdown during the dive
• Environmental hazards such as strong currents, poor visibility and hazardous marine life
• Exposure to cold stress or heat stress due to inappropriate thermal protection
• Failure of emergency equipment such as surface support, oxygen kits or communication systems

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Diver, Buddy, Dive Supervisor, Surface Support)
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Company Policies
• 5.0 Pre-Dive Planning and Risk Assessment
• 6.0 Environmental and Site Condition Assessment
• 7.0 Diver Fitness, Competency and Briefing Requirements
• 8.0 Personal Dive Equipment Pre-Use Inspection
• 9.0 Breathing Apparatus and Gas Supply Checks
• 10.0 Buddy Check Procedure (Step-by-Step Checklist)
• 11.0 Communications, Hand Signals and Lost Buddy Protocols
• 12.0 Emergency and Rescue Equipment Verification
• 13.0 Final Go/No-Go Decision Criteria and Authorisation
• 14.0 Documentation, Checklists and Record-Keeping
• 15.0 Training, Induction and Competency Verification
• 16.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• AS/NZS 2299.1: Occupational diving operations – Standard operational practice
• AS/NZS 2299.2: Occupational diving operations – Scientific diving
• AS/NZS 2299.3: Occupational diving operations – Recreational industry diving and snorkelling operations
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations (particularly provisions relating to high-risk work and remote or isolated work)
• Safe Work Australia – General guidance on diving work and managing risks
• Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law and associated Marine Orders (for vessel-based diving operations)