514 EM 385-1-1 Chapters 30-37

Sections

30-8. General Requirements.

SCUBA Operations Guidelines

SCUBA diving is not permitted in conditions like depths over 100 feet, visibility less than 3 feet, currents exceeding 1 knot, or without proper emergency equipment and trained personnel.
Divers must use specific gear, including a standard-sized SCUBA tank, a bailout bottle, and a buoyancy compensation device, and ensure all equipment meets safety standards.
Each diver must be equipped with necessary tools like a pressure gauge, weight belt, depth gauge, knife, and a timekeeping device. Tethered divers need a safety harness, and untethered divers must dive with a buddy.

Surface Supplied Air (SSA) Operations Standards

SSA operations must not be conducted at depths greater than 190 feet, except dives with bottom times of 30 minutes or less may be conducted to depth of 220 feet.
SSA dives have depth limits and require pre-approved waivers for depths beyond 110 feet. A recompression chamber must be available for certain dives, and specific oxygen quality standards must be met.
Operational requirements include continuous monitoring of divers, the presence of an underwater tender, and sufficient breathing air supply with a reserve for emergencies.
SSA operations must include reliable communication systems, with protocols for testing, maintenance, and emergency procedures if communication fails.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

30-7. SCUBA diving is not permitted in conditions like poor visibility, strong currents, or _____.

dives within no-decompression limits

visibility less than 10 feet

currents exceeding 1/2 knot

depths over 100 feet

You forgot to answer the question!

EM 385-1-1 Paragraph 30-8 (b.–c.).

30-8. General Requirements. (b.–c.).

b.  SCUBA Operations.  (30-8.b)

(1)  SCUBA diving operations are not permitted in any of the following scenarios:

(a)  At depths greater than 100 feet (30.5 m).

(b)  On dives outside the no-decompression limits unless a dual lock, multi-place, recompression chamber in compliance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.423
        (29 CFR 1910 Subpart T) is available at the dive location and is immediately available for use, a trained competent operator is onsite, and the chamber is of sufficient size to accommodate the diver as well as an inside tender.

(d)  In enclosed or physically confining spaces.  See chapter 34 for confined space requirements.

(e)  Using closed circuit or semi-closed-circuit SCUBA.

(f)  In visibility less than 3 feet (0.9 m) unless line tended with diver to surface two- way voice communications.

(g)  In areas where pressure differentials exist and it cannot be positively verified that all potential leaks have been eliminated.

(h)  When the diver does not have direct access to the surface.

(2)  Specific operational requirements for SCUBA operations are as follows:

(a)  The minimum sized SCUBA tank allowed as primary air is a standard 80 ft3 aluminum tank pressurized to at least 2,700 psi at the beginning of dive operations.

Note.  Divers must terminate their dive so they reach the surface with a minimum tank pressure of 500 psi.

(b)  Equip each diver with a minimum 30 ft3 bailout bottle for emergency use pressurized to at least 90 percent of its working psi rating and equipped with a separate 1st and 2nd stage regulator.  An “octopus” is not considered to be an alternate air source.

(c-1)  Air cylinders of seamless steel or aluminum must meet DOT 3AA and DOT 3AL specifications.

(c-2)  Each cylinder must be stamped identification symbols into the shoulder of the tank.

(d)  Equip each diver with a buoyancy compensation device having a manually activated inflation source, an oral inflation device, and an exhaust valve.

(e)  Equip each SCUBA diver with a submersible cylinder pressure gauge capable of being monitored by the diver during the dive.

(f)  Equip each SCUBA diver with a weight belt or assembly capable of quick release.

(g)  Equip each SCUBA diver with a depth gauge and knife.

(h)  Use a timekeeping device for recording diving times for all SCUBA diving operations. The DS and diver must each have a timekeeping device.

(i)  Each tethered SCUBA diver must wear a safety harness with a positive buckling device, attachment point for the safety line, and a lifting point.  The safety harness must distribute the pull force of the line over the diver’s body while maintaining the body in a heads-up vertical position when unconscious or inert. Tethered SCUBA diver must be line-tendered from the surface.

(j)  Each untethered SCUBA diver must be accompanied by another diver in the water in continuous visual contact.

c.  Surface Supplied Air (SSA) Operations.  (30-8.c)

(1)  SSA operations must not be conducted at depths greater than 190 feet (57.9 m), except dives with bottom times of 30 minutes or less may be conducted to depth of 220 feet (67 m).  Do not conduct exceptional exposure dives, as defined by the U.S. Navy Diving Manual, except in emergency lifesaving situations.  USACE in-house SSA operations must not exceed a planned depth of 110 feet (33.5 m) unless a waiver is requested by the DDC and approved by the USACE National Dive Safety Program
    Manager.

(2)  SSA equipment components must be a type specifically designed to be used in diving support systems.

(3)  A recompression chamber must be available for all SSA operations when diving outside the decompression limits, utilizing mixed-gas, and/or when diving at or deeper than 100 feet (30.5 m) is planned.

(a)  Under these conditions, a dual lock, multi-place, recompression chamber in compliance with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.423 must be available at the dive location immediately available for use.

(b)  The chamber must be of sufficient size to accommodate the diver as well as an inside tender, and a trained chamber operator must be immediately available.

(c)  Sufficient oxygen must be available to complete chamber operations.  Oxygen used for diver’s breathing at 100% concentrations and for mixing of diver’s breathing gases must meet MIL-PRF-27210.  Oxygen quality standards are as follows:

Note. Gaseous and liquid oxygen must contain not less than 99.5% by volume.  The remainder, except for moisture and minor constituents specified below, must be argon and nitrogen.

(c-1)  Oxygen (percent by volume) must not be less than 99.5%.

(c-2)  Oxygen must not contain a level of CO2 (by volume) greater than 10 ppm.

(c-3)  Oxygen must not contain a level of methane (CH4 by volume) greater than 50 ppm.

(c-4)  Oxygen must not contain a level of acetylene (C2H2) greater than 0.1 ppm.

(c-5)  Oxygen must not contain a level of ethylene (C2H4) great than 0.4 ppm.

(c-6)  Oxygen must not contain a level of ethane (C2H6 and other hydrocarbons) greater than 6.0 ppm.

(c-7)  Oxygen must not contain a level of nitrous oxide (N2O by volume) greater than 4.0 ppm.

(c-8)  Oxygen must not contain a level of halogenated compounds (by volume) as refrigerants greater than 2.0 ppm.

(c-9)  Oxygen must not contain a level of halogenated compounds (by volume) as solvents greater than 0.2 ppm.

(4)  Use a bell for dives with an in-water decompression time greater than
    120 minutes, unless heavy gear is worn, or diving is conducted in physically confining spaces.

(5)  Minimum specific operational requirements for SSA diving operations are as follows:

(a)  Continuously tend each diver while in the water, with one diver per tender, regardless of depth.  The tender must not perform any other duties outside of tending the diver, except as allowed by tables 30-2 through 30-8.

(b)  Station an underwater tender/diver at the immediate underwater point of entry when any overhead obstruction limiting direct access to the surface is present and/or penetration diving is conducted or when in an enclosed or physically confining spaces.

(c)  Provide a primary breathing air supply for each diving operation sufficient to support divers for the duration of the planned dive, including decompression.

(d)  Each diver must have a reserve breathing supply available that can be turned on immediately by the diver in the event of loss of air.  The reserve breathing air supply must have its own underwater submergible pressure gage with a 36 inch (91.5 cm) hose. The air supply must be of sufficient capacity to recover the diver and complete emergency recompression, if required, in the event of loss of primary air.  The supply tank must contain no less than 30 ft3 (0.85 m3) of air pressurized to at least 90% of the tank’s working psi at the beginning of the dive.

(e)  Each dive location must have a reserve breathing air supply integral or in-line with the primary air source sufficient to safely terminate the dive and recover the diver(s) in the event of loss of the primary air supply.

(f)  Provide the standby diver with a spare air supply hose on dives deeper than 100 feet (30.5 m) or outside the no decompression limits and using heavy gear.  The spare hose is a replacement for the primary diver’s air hose should it become damaged. Provide an in-water support stage to divers when using heavy gear, regardless of depth.

(g)  Incorporate electronic communication systems with an external speaker so the entire dive team can monitor communications.

(g-1)  Test communications devices prior to each dive, maintain them in an operable condition, and protect them from damage during use and storage according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

(g-2)  If voice communications are lost, terminate dive operations in a safe, orderly fashion using line-pull signals.

(g-3)  Do not allow defective electronic communication equipment to prevent a standby diver from deploying in an emergency.  However, deploy only after the DS determines it is safe to dive and use line-pull signals as appropriate.