Minister announces safety regulations for occupational divers

Labour Minister Anna Thistle is pleased to announce amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations which establish specific standards for occupational diving. The implementation of these regulations is a collaborative effort of the Department of Labour, the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC), and the Marine Institute.

"Government�s purpose in introducing these regulations is to ensure the safety of occupational divers in the province," said Minister Thistle. "Diving can be very hazardous work without the necessary training, equipment and standards for operation. As occupational diving activity is steadily increasing, with a growing interest in the non-traditional fisheries such as sea urchin harvesting and aquaculture, there is a serious need to establish regulations governing all divers participating in occupational diving."

The province�s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations have been amended to provide for the adoption of Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Occupational Safety Code for Diving Operations (the Operations Code), the Competency Standard for Diving Operations (the Diver�s Competency Code), as well as the Canadian Association for Underwater Science Standard of Practice for Scientific Diving. The Operations Code addresses things such as equipment requirements, safety procedures, decompression and emergency services planning, while the Diver�s Competency Code deals with training and the competency of diving personnel.

Under the regulations, the requirement for the CSA Operations Code comes into effect on September 15, 2002, while divers have until March 15, 2004 to comply with the Diver�s Competency Code. This provides ample time for companies and divers to meet the regulatory requirements. The adoption of the Canadian Association for Underwater Science Standard of Practice for Scientific Diving is effective immediately.

Regulations will require that all occupational divers complete training to meet the CSA Code and be medically fit to dive. Training which meets the CSA standard for the type of diving generally involved in sea urchin harvesting and aquaculture in this province will be provided through the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

"We are very pleased to be working with the government and WHSCC to offer this diver training to aquaculture and seafood harvesters working in this province," said Leslie O�Reilly, Marine Institute�s Executive Director. "Diving safety has been the motivating factor in developing this program and we want to ensure that the men and women working in this field are fully equipped to deal with potential hazards."

Training courses will commence on May 13, 2002. The implementation and certification of this program will be carried out by WHSCC.

Funding may be available to Employment Insurance (EI) eligible divers to assist in the cost of training under the Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA). Any assistance will be based on the individual goals and circumstances that are set out in a plan negotiated between the client and the employment counsellor.

The Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement is co-managed by Human Resources and Development Canada and the province, and is fully funded by the federal government. Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education Minister Sandra Kelly, is the provincial lead for the LMDA.

For more information on the amendments, contact the Occupational Health and Safety Division at 1-800-563-5471.

Media contact: Kathy Dicks-Peyton, Communications, (709) 729-1741.

2002 03 21                         4:05 p.m.