The SAA continues to support the BDSG (British Diving Safety Group) in developing safe policies for the return to diving. Following the meeting of 28th May 2020 the BDSG has issued an update on this and I recommend all members read this very informative message.
When you read this you will need to consider the guidelines in place by the country where you reside and where you are planning to dive.
There are a number of things that club Diving Officer’s shouldconsider before authorising their members to dive.
- With effect from the 1st June 2020 the SAA are reinstating the membership third party liability insurance. Whilst this opens the way for SAA members to resume conservative shore diving, where this can be safely completed and within guidelines, the responsibility for any resumption of diving continues to be at the discretion of the Club Diving Officer.
- Anyone who has had or suspect that they have had Covid-19 must not dive until they have been cleared by a diving medical referee. Question 6 on the medical form must be answered Yes together with question 19 being answered Yes if medical assistance was required.
- Country guidelines, which are subject to change, are managed by the following governments/assemblies/regions and should be referred to when planning any dive trips members must consider the guidelines for both where they live and where they intend to dive:
- Where club members are allowed to travel and seek permission to dive from their Diving Officer, the Diving Officer must review the dive plan against normal club diving practice, any such risk assessment should include the following:
a. Do the plans complywith all guidelines which cover where all the dive team live and the proposed dive site?
b. The additional car parking requirements, unless the buddies are from the same household there can be no car sharing which results in twice the number of cars on site.
c. Dive site facilities, including the availability of toilets etc.
d. Dive shops are currently regarded as non-essential which may impact on your ability to obtain air/gas fills.
e. Do the plans cover the potential lack of shore cover?
f. Whilst under the water there is no need for social distancing, however once on the surface this must always be observed .
g. Diving should only be approved for divers who have the experience of the chosen site. It is not recommended that members who have never dived in the sea before being allowed to dive in the sea at this time.
h. The depth of any dive should be very conservative with a maximum of 15 metres. When considering depth, you should ensure that the local hyperbaric chamber is operational before diving.
5. The BDSG are working to produce a set of guidance for the United Kingdom, until this is ready for publication it is recommend that divers refer to DAN Coivd-19 & Diving Operations. There are ten sections within the document,
nothing in this document takes precedent over anything in the SAA Club Guidance Manual:
- What measures should be taken for the safety of customers and staff?
- How should disinfection operations be managed?
- What is the best way to manage infection control of rental equipment?
- How should rinsing of customer-owned dive equipment be carried out?
- What protective measures should be taken on diving boats and ribs?
- How can buddy checks and gas sharing be managed safely?
- How can cylinder refills be managed safely?
- First Aid and CPR: how should an emergency be managed?
- Can the virus survive in water?
- What operating procedures and emergency action plan apply during this pandemic?
6. Diving from boats is currently banned under government guidelines.
7. Any training of new and inexperienced divers is not possible at this time due to the requirement to social distance.
https://saa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020_05_28-BDSG-COVID-19-release.pdf
Steve Orange
SAA National Diving Officer
