Diving

All you need to know about our diving safety procedures.

Diving includes

  • Activities using SCUBA, Surface Supplied equipment, Rebreathers, etc.
  • Breath-hold activities, such as snorkelling and freediving
  • Chamber diving (hyperbaric/recompression chamber)

The roles and responsibilities of our Officers, People Leaders, Dive Coordinators and Diver/Dive Support personnel can be found at Diving at the University of Tasmania (Staff intranet).

Updates

The South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) has updated its guidance for divers who have contracted COVID-19 and their return to diving.

As of January 1st, 2024, SPUMS has recommended that divers may return to diving once asymptomatic without doctors' sign-off (within 12 months of a current occupational dive medical). If divers suffer a more complicated or long course of COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses, they need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis by a hyperbaric physician.

SPUMS maintains the position that all divers should remain current with seasonal virus vaccinations such as COVID-19 and influenza.

Please visit the SPUMS website for further information.

If you have questions about the above, contact the University Dive Officer Jane Ruckert or dive.safety@utas.edu.au. If you are an IMAS diver, speak with Tim Harvey or Alex Heathcote for any operational questions regarding diving medicals.

Dive Manual

We are transitioning from our 2009 Dive Procedures Manual to the UTAS Dive Manual and Appendices Ver 9.0 which was approved on 30 June 2022. Both the new and prior manuals are provided below for your reference. It is advised that you begin using the new manual as soon as practical. For more information and familiarisation sessions, visit UTAS Diving Community Teams.

Diving Framework

An overview of the interaction between legislation, standards and other guidance material, plus key acronyms and definitions used in scientific diving. Learn more about he diving framework (Staff intranet)

Useful information

The University is a member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS). The University Diving Safety Committee members are listed as a Diving Control Board member or DSO of University of Tasmania by the AAUS. The AAUS provides technical advice to the University of Tasmania in accordance with AS/NZS 2299.2:2002 Occupational Diving Operations-Scientific Diving.

For the purposes of the AAUS procedures, this sub-committee fulfils the same role as a Diving Control Board (DCB) and the members fulfil the same role as Dive Safety Officer (DSO).

Diving safety committee

The Diving Safety Committee (the Committee) is the advisory body responsible for supporting safe diving practices at the University of Tasmania, including in relation to relevant legislation, Australian Standards, Codes of Practice, industry requirements and the University’s Diving Minimum Standards and Procedures.

The Committee advises the University Dive Officer regarding development and implementation of relevant University policies, procedures and the  Diving Safety Manual.

The University of Tasmania is a member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS). The AAUS provides technical advice to the University of Tasmania in accordance with Scientific Diving industry standards. For the purposes of the AAUS procedures, this committee fulfils the same role as a Diving Control Board (DCB) and the University Dive Officer fulfils the same role as Dive Safety Officer (DSO).

The Committee meet quarterly.

Committee Members
Chair - Executive Director - IMAS Catriona MacLeod  ongoing
Director, Safety and Wellbeing Chris  Arnold ongoing
University Dive Officer  Jane Ruckert ongoing
Principal Dive Officer (IMAS Taroona) Tim Harvey ongoing
Autonomous Maritime Systems Operator/Technician (AMC Search)  Martin Filleul  ongoing
Lecturer  Maritime Training  Ocean - Seafaring - AMC TBA  2 years
Academic  Divers Jeff Ross (appointed August 2019)
Chris White (appointed June 2022) 		Expiry August 2021
Expiry June 2024
Professional Scientific Divers  Antonia Cooper (appointed August 2019)
Lachlan Tainsh (appointed September 2022) 		Expiry August 2021
Expiry September 2024
Student Representative Diver TBA2 years
Independent (external) professional diver Rochelle Johnson - UNSW (appointed  Feb 2024) Expiry Feb 2026
Advisory Members
General Manager - AMC Gregory Truloff  ongoing
Operation Manager - IMAS Kirsten le Mar ongoing
Diver Health Expert from the  Dept of Diving  and Hyperbaric Representative Medicine at RHH   ongoing

Invitee - Chair Vessel Safety Committee

Secretariat - Support to the Committee - Safety and Wellbeing representative

For advice or to submit an Agenda item for Diving committee, please email dive.safety@utas.edu.au.

Meetings 2023

Tuesday 5th December 2023 via Zoom 11.00am to 12.00pm

Meetings 2024

Monday 18th March via Zoom 2.00pm to 3.00pm
Monday 17th June via Zoom 2.00pm to 3.00pm
Monday 9th September via Zoom2.00pm to 3.00pm
Monday 2nd December via Zoom 2.00pm to  3.00pm