My Petition to the Department of Labor, OSHA and the Coast Guard

Protect Commercial Divers' Lives

Reason For the Petition. 

From report Published by U.S. CDC, Center for Disease Control, in 1999: They
estimate 3000 working commercial divers in the United States.

“At the average of five deaths per year this corresponds to a rate of 180
deaths per 100,000 employed divers per year, which is 40 times the national
average death rate for all workers. This group, which accounts for most of the
commercial dive time underwater, includes divers involved in construction,
maintenance, and inspection of vessels and structures such as oil rigs, bridges,
and dams. The remaining 67 deaths occurred among workers who were not full-time
divers; these include seafood harvest divers, search and rescue divers,
scientific divers, dive instructors, and nonmilitary federal agency divers.”

Nothing has been done about this report! At this time OSHA nor the Coast
Guard has a means for tracking Death or serious incident among Commercial
Divers. All though they regulate the Industry they have NO classification for
Commercial Diver.

No. 1 regards the OSHA and Coast Guard investigation and reporting:

We the undersigned, require that the Coast Guard and OSHA, as regulatory
bodies for the commercial diving industry, be charged with the investigation and
reporting of all incidents occurring on any commercial diving operation in a
timely manner.

No. 2 remove the 3 man dive team.

We the undersigned, require that a minimum five man team manning level be a
requirement of law, and must consist of:

• One certificated diving supervisor
• One certificated  diver
• One certificated standby diver
• Two qualified diving tenders

We also require that for  mixed gas diving operations, an additional
dedicated surface gas rack operator be mandatory.

No. 3 regards Dive Supervisor(certificate) Licensing

We the undersigned, require the Coast Guard and OSHA set up a Licensing
system for Dive Supervisors. It should have legal standing under law. This
license should be revocable and the licensees subject to law for gross
negligence. At this time a SCUBA Certification has more standing under U.S. Law
than an ADCI or IMCA Supervisor Card. 

It is time for OSHA and the Coast Guard to hear from Working Divers and their
families. The ADCI promotes the 3 man dive team around the world through its
international affiliated dive companies. It is not even an OSHA  rule but an
interpretation the ADCI ask OSHA  for in 1996 for.

You Can Sign Here:  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/protect-commercial-divers-lives...