Enough is enough : CADC and DCBC push for National Diving Safety Standard.
By CADC Admin ~ July 26th, 2016. Filed under: CADC MAG, Latest Diving News.
(Reprint from CADC Magazine Spring/Summer 2016 )
The Canadian Association of Diving Contractors (CADC) and the Diver Certification Board of Canada (DCBC) are unanimous in pushing forward for nationwide implementation of a single diving standard based on the current CSA Standard Z275.2 (Diving Operations) and the Z275.4 (Diving Competency). These are minimum diving safety standards proposed to be followed by all diving operations conducted in Canada.
CADC President, Vern Johnston
Excerpt from the Winter 2015-2016 edition of CADC Magazine
“It is time for all provinces and territories in Canada to adopt Z275.2, safety code for diving operations… It is time for the industry to request the standards be adopted and for them to participate in the CSA committees to become part of the team that grows the standards for the future.”
DCBC Chairman Jonathan Chapple
Excerpt from the closing remarks given by Jonathan Chapple, chairman of the DCBC, at the Canadian Underwater Conference & Exhibition held in Halifax, April 2016
“…would like to turn my closing remarks to the topic of this afternoon’s plenary session, namely standards, regulations, and enforcement.
“The quote of the conference was made by Doug Elsey during the discussion when he asked, ‘How is my water different than yours?’ This highlights the fact that diving has a common language: Safety. Complacency breeds evil and, in our industry, we know complacency can kill.
“The DCBC, CADC, and many contractors and individuals here today are the strongest possible supporters of the CSA Z275.2 diving safety code.
Yet this standard and others, such as Z275.4 diving competency, are not yet fully adopted or legally recognized across Canada. It has been observed at previous conferences that our CSA diving standards are among the very best in the world. My background in military and occupational diving in the UK, Canada and elsewhere allows me to confirm this.
“It was therefore surprising to hear the view expressed today that a CSA standard may not be appropriate for a particular jurisdiction. Given the number of very experienced diving personnel from across our national diving industry who have contributed to the CSA standards over many years, and who continue to do so, it is clear that more education and communication is required to persuade any doubters.
“On a related note, I want to stress that cherry-picking from a standard is not the same as adoption—standards are designed to be read as a complete document.
So, isn’t it time? To mis-quote the philosopher Edmund Burke, ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.” To that,
I would answer that this room—and this industry—is full of good men and women. We can see there is definitely room for improvement. In this regard, the harmonization of regulations is a term we should remember and support. So this is my call to action . . . We must avoid any insularity and parochialism where diver safety is the objective. That is my call and my challenge to everyone here.”
Harmonizing and recognizing a single standard
The harmonization and recognition of a single diving standard in Canada is the wish of the industry. A recent diving death in Nova Scotia spotlighted the need for recognition and enforcement of recognized standards in the diving industry. Adherence to the diving standard and its associated guidelines may have served to prevent this death.
Different standards and regulations across the country confuse what is and is not allowed in different areas of the country. The laws of physics acting in and around the element we work in—water—are universal across the country and the world. The basic rules for operating safely in this environment are also universal; there are no differences across the country.
The CADC and the DCBC call for all provincial, territorial and federal regulatory authorities to put aside political boundaries and to accept a single occupational health and safety standard for diving operations that is already recognized by our industry. The CSA Z275 Series of Diving Standards fulfils this need. These are minimum diving safety standards that have been developed by users, regulators and educators representing all areas of the country and all segments of the diving industry for over 45 years. The time to accept them and implement them nationally is now.
