Regulations and Standards

Scientific Diving is exempt from OSHA’s commercial diving operations regulations [29 CFR 1910.401(2)(iv) )] if diving is defined as scientific and falls under the direction and control of a diving program containing the elements below:

• Diving safety manual which includes at a minimum procedures covering all diving operations specific to the program; procedures for emergency care, including recompression and evacuation; and criteria for diver training and certification.

• Diving control (safety) board, with the majority of its members being active divers, which shall at a minimum have the authority to approve and monitor diving projects; review and revise the diving safety manual; assure compliance with the manual; certify the depths to which a diver has been trained; take disciplinary action for unsafe practices; and, assure adherence to the buddy system (a diver is accompanied by and is in continuous contact with another diver in the water) for SCUBA diving.

29 CFR 1910 Subpart T Appendix B also  contains guidelines that will be used in conjunction with 1910.401(a)(2)(iv) to determine those scientific diving programs which are exempt from the requirements for commercial diving. The guidelines are as follows:

• The Diving Control Board consists of a majority of active scientific divers and has autonomous and absolute authority over the scientific diving program’s operations.

• The purpose of the project using scientific diving is the advancement of science; therefore, information and data resulting from the project are non-proprietary.

• The tasks of a scientific diver are those of an observer and data gatherer. Construction and trouble-shooting tasks traditionally associated with commercial diving are not included within scientific diving.

• Scientific divers, based on the nature of their activities, must use scientific expertise in studying the underwater environment and, therefore, are scientists or scientists in training.