Diving Protocol

1. The purpose of our protocol

Our protocol sets out how Adelaide University manages the provision of safe work practices for diving undertaken during University related activities. This ensures that the risks of all diving activities are identified, assessed and the appropriate controls measures are in place to prevent injury.

This protocol should be read in conjunction with the Hazard Management Procedure, which gives effect to the Wellbeing and Safety Policy.

2. Our protocol applies to

2.1 Inclusions

members of our Adelaide University Community
Contractors engaged by the University to undertake diving activities.

Exclusions

All diving deeper than 30 metres and /or decompression is not permitted by the University.
Not intended to apply to student recreational diving clubs.

3. Our safe diving management protocols

3.1 Roles and responsibilities

University roles and responsibilities for managing Wellbeing and Safety risks, including activities associated with diving, are set out in the Hazard Management Procedure.

When working off campus / undertaking field work additional University approval may be required. Other states may also have different legislative requirements, and/or Parks and Wildlife may require permits to be completed. Please consult with School/Branch Diving Officer for advice.

3.2 Ensuring safe systems for the management of diving activities

The table below outlines key roles and responsibilities for safe diving activities.

Role	Responsibilities	Protocols
People Leaders – School/Function/ Research Institute	Must: Assess if the Diving activity request is an ongoing business requirement. Appoint a Diving Officer. Authorise workers who undertake diving activities. Revoking the Authorisation.	After discussions with the requester of diving activity, if response is: Yes - follow the safe systems of work for diving. Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the WHS Reg – Part 8 Sections 167-184. Ensure University owned boats are used. If this is not possible, then specialised contactors should be engaged. Nominate a qualified, competent and experienced person as the Diving Officer. Ensure that the Diving Officer understands their responsibilities and completes all the required and associated Diving Forms. In consultation with Diving Officer authorise the nominated workers who will be undertaking the diving activities. The assessment is to ensure they are trained and competent to safely undertake the diving activity. The Diving Officer is to advise the Manager / Supervisor of School / branch if there is a need to revoke authorisation for the diving activity or any divers whose behaviours on the job cause safety concerns, and the basis for this decision.
Diving Officer	Must: Provide advice on purchase & maintenance of equipment. Ensure divers are trained, competent and licensed. Make recommendations of any restrictions to ensure safety of all divers. Ensure good communication with all persons.	Review and advise all parties what equipment is needed for diving operations. Ensure all equipment is maintained and in good working condition. All maintenance records are recorded. Ensure workers undertaking diving activities meet the requirements and are competent. All records pertaining to a diver's training, licensing and competency must be kept on file. Inform the People Leader of School/Function of any specific restrictions to apply after a competency review is completed for all divers participating in the diving activities. Establish a process for the provision of information to all persons involved in the diving activities. This includes consultation with the divers on any concerns that they may have.
Divers and Restricted Divers	Maintenance and servicing of equipment.	Ensure that all equipment issued to them is maintained and serviced and service records are kept. Report any faulty equipment immediately to the Dive Coordinator and tag it out of service.
Wellbeing and Safety Team	Must: Provide advice and support for the establishment of safe systems of work for diving activities.	Support the Diving Officer in the development and review of safe systems of work. Verify that the university diving safety requirements meet the requirements of the WHS Regs, Part 8 Sections 167-184.

3.3 Ensuring safe work practices for Diving Activities

The table below outlines key roles and responsibilities for the safe work practices for conducting diving activities.

Role	Responsibilities	Protocols
Diving Officer	Must: Review, cancel and sign the dive plan.	Ensure workers involved in the activity have the relevant authorisations. Ensure workers have completed all relevant proficiency and competency-based training. Ensure divers have a current certificate of medical fitness or if any specific restrictions are in place that they can be accommodated safely. If divers are using their own equipment, they are aware of their responsibilities to maintain a service history and include this in the School/Function plant / equipment register and/or dive file. Keep the finalised dive plan for at least a 12-month period after the completion of the diving activities.
Diving Coordinator	Must: Prepare a dive plan, including a risk assessment, for each diving activity. Emergency actions.	Prepare the dive plan. Ensure equipment is fit for purpose and fully functional, each diver has adequate air supply plus an emergency reserve of between 25-30% and is available at the site. Ensure all members of the dive team understand the dive plan (risk assessment, communication protocols, emergency procedures). Submit the dive plan to the Diving Officer for authorisation. Liaise with the boat operator as required. Directly supervise the diving activities. Ensure that shark shields are in good working order and are being worn by all divers (excluding freshwater activities). Terminate any dive activity where any unsafe condition arises. Contact local diver emergency services and initiate evacuation procedures (including emergency telephone / radio procedures). Co-ordinate re-compression support facilities where required (refer to your risk assessment – contact both Coast Guard and bariatric facility to assist and support in the emergency response.
Divers and Restricted divers	Follow safe systems of work.	Follow the requirements of the dive plan and associated documents. Follow all instructions given by the Dive Coordinator and Diving Officer. Ensure your shark shield is in good working order and that it is worn whenever undertaking saltwater diving. Ensure that you don’t dive unless a Dive Coordinator is present. Ensure you have a current Certificate of medical fitness and is provided to the Diving Officer / Coordinator. Ensure you are not under the effects of Alcohol or drugs.

Role

Responsibilities

Protocols

Diving Officer

Must:

Review, cancel and sign the dive plan.

Ensure workers involved in the activity have the relevant authorisations.
Ensure workers have completed all relevant proficiency and competency-based training.
Ensure divers have a current certificate of medical fitness or if any specific restrictions are in place that they can be accommodated safely.
If divers are using their own equipment, they are aware of their responsibilities to maintain a service history and include this in the School/Function plant / equipment register and/or dive file.
Keep the finalised dive plan for at least a 12-month period after the completion of the diving activities.

Diving Coordinator

Must:

Prepare a dive plan, including a risk assessment, for each diving activity.
Emergency actions.

Prepare the dive plan.
Ensure equipment is fit for purpose and fully functional, each diver has adequate air supply plus an emergency reserve of between 25-30% and is available at the site.
Ensure all members of the dive team understand the dive plan (risk assessment, communication protocols, emergency procedures).
Submit the dive plan to the Diving Officer for authorisation.
Liaise with the boat operator as required.
Directly supervise the diving activities.
Ensure that shark shields are in good working order and are being worn by all divers (excluding freshwater activities).
Terminate any dive activity where any unsafe condition arises.
Contact local diver emergency services and initiate evacuation procedures (including emergency telephone / radio procedures).
Co-ordinate re-compression support facilities where required (refer to your risk assessment – contact both Coast Guard and bariatric facility to assist and support in the emergency response.

Divers and Restricted divers

Follow safe systems of work.

Follow the requirements of the dive plan and associated documents.
Follow all instructions given by the Dive Coordinator and Diving Officer.
Ensure your shark shield is in good working order and that it is worn whenever undertaking saltwater diving.
Ensure that you don’t dive unless a Dive Coordinator is present.
Ensure you have a current Certificate of medical fitness and is provided to the Diving Officer / Coordinator.
Ensure you are not under the effects of Alcohol or drugs.

3.4 Post diving activities and documentation

The table below outlines key roles and responsibilities for the completion of post diving activities and documentation are completed.

Role	Responsibilities	Protocols
Diving Officer	Must: Feedback on dive activities and performance from Dive Coordinator.	Consult with Head / People Leader of School/Function if there is a recommendation to revoke the authorisation of a diver or restricted diver. Maintain dive plans and dive safety logs on file for at least 12-mnths after the diving activities. Ensure all diving incidents are recorded in Unisafe. Ensure all equipment that was involved in the incident has been preserved until the investigation is finalised. Participate in all diving incident investigations.
Dive Coordinator	Must: Document control. Report incidents /Near misses.	Return the dive plant and completed Safety log to the Diving Officer. Complete the dive safety log including the details of the incidents that occurred and return to the Diving Officer. Ensure that all equipment involved in the incident is set aside as is until the completion of the incident investigation. Ensure incidents and near misses are entered into Unisafe. Participate in diving investigations as required.
Divers and Restricted divers	Must: Maintain Equipment. Report of incidents / Near misses.	Report any faulty dive equipment to the Dive Coordinator. Advise the Dive Coordinator if any incident occurred (including near misses).
Wellbeing and Safety	Must: Provide advice and support on incident investigations.	Notify Safe Work SA of any notifiable incident / near miss that has occurred. Ensure all diving incidents / Near misses that have been reported are investigated. Ensure the findings from the investigation are shared.

4. Definitions used in our protocol

The following definitions are applicable to this protocol, for generic Adelaide University definitions refer to the Glossary of Terms.

Certificate of medical fitness – A certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner with experience in dive medicine or underwater medicine which states:

The name of the person to whom it is needed
Date of issue and expiry
Whether or not the person to whom it is issued is, in accordance with the fitness criteria, medically fit to carry out diving work
Any condition in relation to the type of diving work the person is fit to carry out, or
- the circumstances in which the person is fit to carry out general diving work, including,
- a person who is under 18 years of age, any conditions applicable to the age of the person.

Dive Coordinator – The Dive Coordinator, coordinates diving activities and ensures the appropriate documentation is provided to the Diving Officer prior to undertaking any diving activities. The Dive Coordinator ensures all equipment is in good condition and fit for purpose prior to undertaking the dive (i.e. pre dive check). A Dive Coordinator is always present during a diving activity ensuing the dive plan is being adhered to.

Diving Officer – The Diving Officer is responsible for overseeing diving activities. The Diving Officer is responsible for authorising and revoking divers in consultation with the Head of School / Branch. The Diving Officer ensures all workers undertaking diving activities have the appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision. The Diving Officer is responsible for completing dive plans and ensuing that are signed off, including any other relevant documentation prior to diving activities.

Dive Plan - Documentation to ensure the risks of a diving activity have been addressed. It generally includes diver certifications, a risk assessment, emergency procedures and other related documents.

Diver – A person who performs diving work underwater and who is trained and has experience in diving activities.

Limited scientific diving work means general diving work that –

Diving to a depth below 30 metres
The need for a decompression stop
The use of mechanical lifting equipment for a buoyancy lifting device
Diving beneath anything that would require the diver to move sideways before being able to ascend
The use of plant that is powered from the surface
Diving for more than 28 days during period of 6-months

Restricted Diver-A person who has linted diving experience who has been deemed by the Diving Officer not to have the experience of a diver. A restricted diver has limited condition and duties.

Workplace – A workplace is a place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking and includes any place where a worker goes or is likely to be while at work. This includes a vehicle, vessel, aircraft or other mobile structure and any waters and any installation on land, on the bed of any water or floating on any waters.

5. How our protocol is governed

5.1 Compliance

Electrical safety management at Adelaide University is conducted in compliance with the following established regulations and guidelines:

Legislation & Code of Practice

Australian Standards

AS/NZS 2299.2 Occupational diving operations – Scientific diving (2002)
AS2815.1 Training and Certification of Occupational Divers – Occupational SCUBA Diver Standard (2008)

University related documents and resources

Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS)
South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society – List of underwater medical doctors
Unisafe

5.2 Governance

This protocol is categorised, approved and owned in line with the governance structure of Adelaide University and the offices and officers listed below.

Parent procedure	*Authority to create and maintain this protocol is granted under the Hazard* Management Procedure**
Policy category	Corporate
Approving authority	Executive Director People, Advisory and Wellbeing
Policy owner	Deputy Vice Chancellor People and Culture
Responsible manager	Deputy Vice Chancellor People and Culture or their delegate
Effective from	01 March 2026
Review date	01 March 2029
Enquiries	Wellbeing and Safety Team
Replaced documents	None

6. History of changes

Date approved	To section/clauses	Description of change
29 Jan 2026	N/A	New protocol

Note on structures, positions and position titles:
At the time of writing, the organisational structure, positions and position titles for Adelaide University have not all been confirmed. Accordingly, square brackets [ ] temporarily enclose position titles in this procedure until position titles for Adelaide University are known.