The Activity Hazard Analysis should identify such points before diving commences. Don't Be Fooled Inland diving work can often seem like easy diving with few risks. But, when little or no hazard is presumed, dive teams are not prepared to address them in the event an accident occurs. Most inland diving fatalities occur in water less than 20 feet deep. It is amazing how much pull a differential head intake can have, even in ten feet of water.
Suction pressures can run in the hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
It is an accepted fact that diving operations are among the riskiest work activities performed in industry. Placing individuals in artificial environments in unseen, isolated locations can be very dangerous when not performed in a manner that recognizes the hazards and reduces risks to acceptable levels. Diving operations in and around operating powerhouses, navigation locks, fishways, and other structures present even more risk than is normally found in the commercial diving industry in general. Randy Cummings, former Chairman of the ADC's Western Chapter, manages underwater operations for Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission is prohibited.