The Problem

Every year, organizations hire diving contractors without asking the right questions. They assume that a valid certificate or a low bid means the work will be done safely. It does not.

The hazard does not know why you are there. It does not care about your budget, your timeline, or your good intentions. The hazard is indifferent to titles, projects, and good intentions. What that means for every dive plan is that the controls must be real, not assumed.

What Due Diligence Looks Like

Due diligence is not a checklist. It is a process of verification that the contractor has the competence, equipment, and systems to do the work safely.

1. Verify the Contractor's Competence

• Confirm valid certifications for all diving personnel (DCBC, IMCA, or equivalent)
• Review the diving supervisor's experience for the specific type of work
• Check the dive team's recent experience with the same type of operation
• Request and review the contractor's safety record (incidents, near misses, regulatory actions)

2. Review the Equipment and Systems

• Verify the diving equipment is appropriate for the depth, environment, and task
• Confirm emergency breathing gas redundancy (bailout, surface supply, or both)
• Verify communications systems (hardwire, through-water, or both) are appropriate and tested
• Confirm emergency equipment (chamber access, first aid, evacuation plan)

3. Review the Dive Plan

• The plan must address the specific task, site conditions, and identified hazards
• Emergency procedures must be specific to the site and operation
• Contingency plans for equipment failure, weather, and medical emergencies
• Gas planning, decompression procedures, and gas switching protocols

4. Verify Insurance and Regulatory Compliance

• Confirm adequate insurance coverage (liability, workers' compensation, pollution)
• Verify compliance with applicable regulations (Canada Labour Code, provincial OH&S, CSA Z275.4, etc.)
• Confirm the contractor's safety management system is documented and current

Red Flags

• The contractor cannot provide current certification records for all personnel
• The dive plan is generic or copied from a previous job
• Emergency procedures are vague or reference "standard procedures" without specifics
• The contractor discourages questions or independent review of the dive plan
• Equipment maintenance records are incomplete or unavailable
• The contractor has a history of incidents or regulatory violations

The Cost of Not Asking

A hazard remains a hazard regardless of why the diver enters the water, and every dive should be planned to identify and appropriately mitigate those hazards. A near miss is still an incident. The fact that nobody was injured does not mean the operation was safe. It may simply mean that the conditions did not produce a more serious outcome on that occasion.

An incident includes everything from a warning with no injury to an event resulting in a fatality.

Reviewing the full range of incidents helps identify weaknesses before they cause a serious injury or loss of life.

The ODRM Difference

ODRM provides independent review of dive plans, contractor qualifications, and operational procedures. We have nothing to sell and nothing to hide — only a lifetime of experience applied to the risks that matter in occupational diving.

If you are hiring a diving contractor, contact us for an independent review of the dive plan and contractor qualifications before the first diver enters the water.