Diving regulations change !

Commercial divers work is a dangerous medium. There are many unknown hazards beneath the waters and conditions range from clear water to so murky that ones hands can not be seen before their eyes. Safe Work Australia is proposing a new set of regulations that clears away many of the legislative requirements that divers rely on to survive. There will no longer be a need to have a first aid kit on hand - nor a person trained in safety work such as rescuscitation. One of the critical present regulations requires a trained supervisor to be present at each dive. This person understands rescue technique - and this is essential if danger strikes with a critical time limit involved in the remaining air supply. Supervising qualifications are being significantly downgraded. It seems possible that the new regulations would allow amateur divers to enter the commercial field and compete with trained professionals for the work available. The commercial diving industry claims that this legislation has been quietly introduced under cover of the state election - and Federal attention focussed on the carbon tax issue. As such, it has escaped media scrutiny - and unless challenged will lead to a vast drop in water safety for those who make their living in a risky profession.