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Understanding commercial diving is important even for those who stay on top of the water.

That was part of the message Mark Binsfeld, vice president for business development and marketing at J.F. Brennan Company, communicated during an Inland Marine Expo session titled “Best Practices for Underwater Construction and Commercial Diving.”

Binsfeld stressed that it is important for those in need of a dive team to understand what diving standards are for businesses to decrease risk and potential liability.

First of all, he said, it is important to know that diving around barge terminals, towing vessels and other infrastructure carries a certain amount of risk. Because of this, recreational certifications, such as SCUBA, are not appropriate, Binsfeld said. He said commercial divers have instead received the necessary education and training to perform underwater inspection and construction services around industrial facilities. They also know how to handle the hazards, which could include zero visibility and working around underwater cutting and welding tools.

Before a business agrees to diving work, he said, the company should know how the dive team is managing its safety, quality and regulatory compliance.

“Things turn bad very quickly,” Binsfeld said, noting that it is hard to get underwater quickly and provide life-saving assistance. Doing what is possible to prevent those situations is therefore important, he said.

Companies should begin by determining how much risk they are willing to accept, Binsfeld said. They should also think through potential scenarios, such as what happens if a diver gets injured in the water? How will a diving problem be managed? How will that affect the company? And, finally, what if the worst happens?

Several agencies offer regulatory standards to help reduce the risks, Binsfeld said. Those include the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is the only body that can levy fines for not following guidelines and requirements.

Other groups with regulatory standards include the Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).

At minimum, a dive team must consist of three people: a dive person in charge, a diver and a diver tender on top of the water. Those are the minimum standards from OSHA, Binsfeld said. The Coast Guard also requires a minimum of three divers, while the Corps of Engineers requires a four-person crew that includes a standby diver. The Corps also requires more training, including on bloodborne pathogens and emergency oxygen administration. Divers must have a dive diploma and dive log evidence with at least one year of experience and an annual dive physical. Divers must also validate and show evidence of equipment and maintenance logs.

The other agencies add various other requirements, with a six-person minimum dive team required by the U.S. Navy.

Many of the agencies now reference ADCI standards. ADCI is completely voluntary but requires training, health and equipment standards and a five-year audit schedule.

IMCA standards are being seen more and more in the United States, especially in projects for refineries with dock structures and in offshore wind projects. IMCA’s standards are even more stringent than ADCI and Corps standards, Binsfeld said.

Binsfeld discussed some of the practices J.F. Brennan has put into use so that listeners could see a firsthand example.

J.F. Brennan has a standard four-person team with a five-person team on sizable jobs. The company also has four full-time certified equipment technicians on staff and annual training, along with quarterly, semiannually or yearly testing on different types of equipment. Brennan also requires detailed paperwork and reporting, including logs on all testing, repairs and maintenance, and keeps life-saving gear stored in a clean environment. Brennan also reorders new equipment and spare parts from a corporate standpoint, not leaving it to individual dive crews.

Training includes iPad training conducted by a supervisor, refresher training reinforcing what a diver learned in dive school and online training for the marine industry. It also uses ADCI resources.

J.F. Brennan has also invested in new technology to minimize risk to divers, Binsfeld said. That includes remotely operated vehicles that may be ideal for predive inspections, condition investigations and pipeline and underwater imaging. The costs  of such equipment are coming down, and such vehicles can be equipped with specialized tools and make use of high-intensity lighting.

“The nice thing is you can put them in and investigate conditions before you put a diver in,” Binsfeld said.

In summary, Binsfeld said anyone looking to hire a dive team should seek to manage risk and get familiar with requirements and best practices. He recommended that, at minimum, companies should check to make sure their dive contractors have: commercial certifications from an accredited dive school for all team members, proof of annual physicals for all team members, current first aid and CPR certifications for all members, a corporate safety practices manual (as required by OSHA), proof of insurances, indemnification clauses in a signed contract and a plan and necessary dive equipment for rescue, including backup equipment.

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