Product Overview

Summary: This Underwater Construction Safety Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, step-by-step framework for planning and executing diving and underwater construction works safely in Australian waters. It helps businesses control high-risk hazards such as drowning, decompression illness, entanglement, and equipment failure, while demonstrating compliance with WHS and commercial diving requirements.

Underwater construction involves some of the highest-risk work environments in the construction and marine sectors, combining all the usual hazards of construction with the added complexity of working under pressure, in low visibility, and often in dynamic water conditions. This Underwater Construction Safety SOP provides a structured, practical process for managing those risks from initial planning and risk assessment through to dive operations, underwater task execution, and demobilisation. It clarifies how work is to be controlled, who is responsible at each stage, and what minimum safety standards must be met before any diver enters the water.

The document is designed to help Australian businesses meet their duties under WHS legislation and commercial diving requirements by formalising safe systems of work for underwater tasks such as cutting and welding, concrete placement, pile wrapping, scour protection, inspections, and repairs. It addresses common problem areas including inconsistent pre-dive checks, inadequate communication between surface and dive teams, poor control of plant and vessels operating above divers, and gaps in emergency preparedness. By implementing this SOP, organisations can reduce incident rates, improve contractor management, support diver competency and training, and provide a defensible, documented process that can withstand regulatory or client scrutiny on major marine and infrastructure projects.

Key Benefits

• Ensure a consistent, defensible safe system of work for all underwater construction activities across projects and sites.
• Reduce the likelihood of serious incidents such as drowning, decompression illness, entrapment, and impact from vessels or plant.
• Demonstrate compliance with Australian WHS legislation and commercial diving expectations when tendering or responding to client audits.
• Standardise pre-dive checks, communication protocols, and emergency response so supervisors and divers know exactly what is required.
• Improve coordination between dive teams, surface crews, and marine traffic control, minimising delays and costly project disruptions.

Who is this for?

• Commercial Diving Supervisors
• Underwater Construction Supervisors
• Marine Construction Project Managers
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Dive Contractors and Operations Managers
• Civil Engineers – Marine and Coastal
• Harbour and Port Authority Maintenance Managers
• Offshore Construction Coordinators
• HSEQ Managers in Marine and Subsea Services

Hazards Addressed

• Drowning and loss of breathing gas supply
• Decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism
• Nitrogen narcosis and oxygen toxicity (where relevant to breathing mix)
• Entanglement or entrapment in structures, lines, nets, or debris
• Impact or crush injuries from moving plant, vessels, and falling objects
• Underwater cutting, welding, and hot work hazards including burns and explosion
• Electrical shock from submerged electrical equipment and tools
• Poor visibility, strong currents, surge, and changing tides affecting diver control
• Cold stress and hypothermia from prolonged immersion
• Noise and vibration from underwater and surface plant
• Manual handling injuries when handling heavy tools, hoses, and construction materials
• Psychological stress and fatigue from confined, high-pressure environments
• Contaminated water exposure (biological, chemical, or sewage contamination)
• Failure or misuse of diving equipment, umbilicals, and communication systems

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose, Scope and Application
• 2.0 Definitions and References (including commercial diving terminology)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Diving Supervisor, Divers, Surface Attendants, Skippers)
• 4.0 Competency, Licensing and Medical Fitness Requirements
• 5.0 Planning and Risk Assessment for Underwater Construction Works
• 6.0 Site Assessment – Environmental Conditions, Access and Marine Traffic
• 7.0 Plant, Equipment and Diving System Requirements
• 8.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Diving Equipment Checks
• 9.0 Pre-Dive Briefing, Communications and Permit-to-Work Requirements
• 10.0 Step-by-Step Operating Procedure for Underwater Construction Tasks
• 11.0 Control of Vessels, Cranes and Plant Operating Above or Near Divers
• 12.0 Hazard Identification and Control Measures (Task-Specific and Environmental)
• 13.0 Gas Management, Decompression and Surface Interval Controls
• 14.0 Emergency Preparedness and Response (Lost Diver, Gas Failure, Injury, Rapid Ascent)
• 15.0 Incident Reporting, Investigation and Corrective Actions
• 16.0 Housekeeping, Demobilisation and Post-Job Review
• 17.0 Training, Induction and Toolbox Talk Requirements
• 18.0 Document Control, Review and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations (Cth) – High Risk Work and Construction Work provisions
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Construction Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• AS/NZS 4801: Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still referenced in many systems)
• AS 2299.1: Occupational diving operations – Standard operational practice (as a key reference for commercial diving safety expectations)
• Marine Orders and relevant state/territory marine safety legislation for vessel operations (e.g. AMSA requirements)
• State and Territory WHS Acts and Regulations (e.g. Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and associated Regulations in applicable jurisdictions)