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| ADCI Industry Informational
Update #2009-04 |
February/2009 |
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TO: ADCI General
Membership and Industry Stakeholders
The following items of
information are provided to bring your attention to
recent industry developments, initiatives,
or safety notices. If you do not wish to
receive future Industry Updates, please use the
unsubscribe option, located at the bottom of this
update. |
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ADCI PENETRATION
DIVING OPERATIONAL
GUIDELINES |
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No standard can cover all
potentialities that might be encountered. JSA's
common sense, and extra attention to detail by the
entire dive team are to be considered essential
components for approaching operations of this
nature. JSA's should be updated as work
progresses, to reflect the current
conditions.
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| Definitions |
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Penetration Dive
A dive that requires a
diver to access an area that is both a physically
confining space and one in which there is no direct
access to the surface or bell for recovery of the diver
from the water by the tender.
Physically Confining Space
A physically confining space is
defined in this document as any underwater space which
would restrict the diver's ability to rotate himself
head to toe, 180 degrees in any place.
Direct Access to the Surface
Direct access to the surface is
defined in this document as a dive location where the
diver can be easily pulled to the surface by a surface
tender, or to a bell by an inside bell tender.
This does not necessarily mean there is not an
obstruction on the surface directly above the diver
during the dive, but that there is nothing to restrict
the diver from being pulled back to the point of entry
at the water surface or bell by the diver's
tender.
Diver Working Around Corners
A situation where the umbilical
may become fouled or where line pull signals may become
dissipated due to the dive site
configuration preventing a straight line pull
between a surface tender and diver.
Confined Space
A confined space is an enclosed
space and is descriptive of topside conditions
only. In certain instances, in order to access the
dive site, the dive crew may have to transit or work
from a confined space. Generally, the definition
of a confined space is:
- Large enough so an employee
could fully enter the space and work
- Has limited or restricted
entry or exit Examples are tanks, vessels,
silos, storage bins, vaults, excavations and pits
- Not primarily designed for
human occupancy
- Not flooded
All topside operations
performed in Confined Spaces shall conform to
appropriate regulatory
requirements. |
| Performing Penetration
Diving |
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- When performing penetration
diving, if the entrance to the penetration is
underwater and not readily accessible from the
surface, then the diver shall be tended at the
entrance of the penetration by an in-water
tender at all times. The purpose of the in-water
tender is to tend the penetrating diver's umbilical
and to assist should the diver require assistance in
the event of a fouled umbilical, entrapment, or other
emergency. In these conditions, the dive team
must include an additional Tender / Diver.
- When any diver is working
around corners where the umbilical is likely to become
fouled or line-pull signals may be dissipated, other
in-water diver / tenders may be sent down to tend the
lines of the first diver at the obstructions, and to
pass along any line-pull
signals.
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| Examples of Penetration
Diving |
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The most common example of a
penetration dive is that of a diver entering a pipe and
traveling along its interior. This would generally
meet both the criteria listed above for penetration
diving (physically confining space and no direct access
to the surface).
Generally, working under a
vessel or barge would not be considered a penetration
dive, as the diver can usually be pulled to the surface
at the location of the topside
tender.
NOTE: There is a
clear and distinct difference between working beneath a
vessel and working in a pipeline. In the former
case, the diver may be directly retrieved by the surface
tender without danger of entrapment or entanglement as
the umbilical is generally maintained in a horizontal
direct line to the diver. In the case of a diver
entering and underwater pipeline, the umbilical will
often turn a corner at the entrance to the pipeline, or
even within the pipeline, and therefore it must be
tended at such points by another diver acting as an
in-water tender. Additionally, when working within
or under an offshore structure, consideration shall be
given to ensure that the diver's umbilical has direct
access to the bell or surface.
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This Information was
sent to further the communication of all industry
stakeholders. Safety is the primary concern of the
ADCI. Remember: a real time Job Safety
Analysis is important, but nothing can replace good
common sense.
Sincerely,
Phil
Newsum
Association
of Diving Contractors
International
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