Canadian Association of Diving Contractors

The new CSA Dive Standard Z275-15 (Diving Operations) is finally on the streets and available from the Canadian Standards Association website. There are numerous changes and updates to the new standard.

A direct quote from the standards preface:

“This is the sixth edition of CSA Z275.2, Occupational safety code for diving operations. It supersedes the previous editions published in 2011, 2004, 1992, 1982, and 1974. It is part of a series of Standards on diving and caisson systems covering hyperbaric facilities, occupational diving, and construction work in compressed air environments.

This edition includes expanded and updated sections on deep diving (Clause 9) and diving in contaminated environments (Clause 11). In addition, the criteria for manned submersible vehicles (Clause 10) have been greatly expanded to bring it into line with current technology and international use of these systems.

This Standard has also been harmonized with regulations, standards, guidelines, and codes developed by the Canadian Oil and Gas Lands Administration (COGLA), the Oil and Gas Producers (OGP), the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), and NORSOK.

This Standard is not intended to supersede the requirements of applicable occupational safety and health regulations. Criteria in this Standard have been written in a manner that allows the user to comply both with the Standard and applicable legislated requirements throughout Canada.

This Standard is not intended for use as a diving or procedure manual. It is designed to be inflexible in those matters that experience has shown to be critical to the safety of the diver, and yet flexible in those areas where the responsibility and considered judgment of operators provide the highest degree of safety in specialized operations.

Specific exposure tables and decompression schedules are not included in this Standard in view of the fact that a number of well-tested and authoritative tables are available for use by divers and for adoption by the regulatory authorities.

The Subcommittee on Diving Operations has been assisted in the preparation of this Standard by a number of practicing professional divers, physicians with experience in diving and in the medical supervision of divers, managers of companies specializing in construction involving diving operations, employers of divers in construction operations, members of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), and representatives of various federal and provincial regulatory authorities.”

(Ed Note:) The diving industry including the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors, the Diver Certification Board of Canada and several commercial diving companies amongst others have financially supported and contributed to the development of of the standards.  Thousands of man/company hours by industry stakeholders and govt representatives have been invested in the development of the standard to make it one of the most concise document available today. It is continually under review and improvement. We salute those participants and their efforts and the guidance of Bob Landry as chair of the subcommittee in guiding its massive changes.  Get your copy today. Well done!

Copies of CSA Z275.2-15 can be obtained at CSA’s On-line Store: http://shop.csa.ca/

For more information: Please contact Mr. David Shanahan, Project Manager – Dave.shanahan@csagroup.org