ABSTRACT
North Sea diving operations are routinely carried out under difficult conditions as an ongoing and essential part of oil industry operations in the North Sea. They can only be carried out safely if effective management systems are in place for their control.
As a basis for such systems the paper initially describes the historical background to the industry and it’s present situation from the point of view of both the Diving Contractors and the operating companies (their clients). Implications of the Cullen report and the requirements forquality systems are also discussed.
The elements of a Diving Safety Management System are then discussed, based on Safety Management Criteria and the procedures and policies necessary for attainment of those criteria. The objectives of the system, Safety Management Criteria and elements, and the basis/content of a typical Diving Procedures Manual are then described to indicate how the management system works in practice.
The system is workable, practicable and applicable to diving operations anywhere in the world.
