Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-37 - Standards for commercial diving operations › Section 296-37-595 - Appendix C to chapter 296-37 WAC - Alternative conditions under WAC 296-37-510(7) for recreational diving instructors and diving guides

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(Mandatory)
WAC
				296-37-510(7) 
				specifies that an employer of recreational diving instructors and diving guides
				(hereafter, "divers" or "employees") who complies with all of the conditions of
				this appendix need not provide a decompression chamber for these divers as
				required under WAC
				296-37-545(2)(b) and
				(3)(c) or WAC
				296-37-560(2)(a).
(1) Equipment requirements for rebreathers.
(a) The employer must ensure that each
			 employee operates the rebreather (i.e., semiclosed-circuit and closed-circuit
			 self-contained underwater breathing apparatuses (hereafter, "SCUBAs"))
			 according to the rebreather manufacturer's instructions.
(b) The employer must ensure that each
			 rebreather has a counterlung that supplies a sufficient volume of breathing gas
			 to their divers to sustain the divers' respiration rates, and contains a baffle
			 system and/or other moisture separating system that keeps moisture from
			 entering the scrubber.
(c) The
			 employer must place a moisture trap in the breathing loop of the rebreather,
			 and ensure that:
(i) The rebreather
			 manufacturer approves both the moisture trap and its location in the breathing
			 loop; and
(ii) Each employee uses
			 the moisture trap according to the rebreather manufacturer's
			 instructions.
(d) The
			 employer must ensure that each rebreather has a continuously functioning
			 moisture sensor, and that:
(i) The moisture
			 sensor connects to a visual (e.g., digital, graphic, analog) or auditory (e.g.,
			 voice, pure tone) alarm that is readily detectable by the diver under the
			 diving conditions in which the diver operates, and warns the diver of moisture
			 in the breathing loop in sufficient time to terminate the dive and return
			 safely to the surface; and
(ii)
			 Each diver uses the moisture sensor according to the rebreather manufacturer's
			 instructions.
(e) The
			 employer must ensure that each rebreather contains a continuously functioning
			 CO2 sensor in the breathing loop, and that:
(i) The rebreather manufacturer approves the
			 location of the CO2 sensor in the breathing
			 loop;
(ii) The
			 CO2 sensor is integrated with an alarm that operates in
			 a visual (e.g., digital, graphic, analog) or auditory (e.g., voice, pure tone)
			 mode that is readily detectable by each diver under the diving conditions in
			 which the diver operates; and
(iii)
			 The CO2 alarm remains continuously activated when the
			 inhaled CO2 level reaches and exceeds 0.005 atmospheres
			 absolute (ATA).
(f)
			 Before each day's diving operations, and more often when necessary, the
			 employer must calibrate the CO2 sensor according to the
			 sensor manufacturer's instructions, and ensure that:
(i) The equipment and procedures used to
			 perform this calibration are accurate to within 10% of a
			 CO2 concentration of 0.005 ATA or less;
(ii) The equipment and procedures maintain
			 this accuracy as required by the sensor manufacturer's instructions;
			 and
(iii) The calibration of the
			 CO2 sensor is accurate to within 10% of a
			 CO2 concentration of 0.005 ATA or less.
(g) The employer must replace the
			 CO2 sensor when it fails to meet the accuracy
			 requirements specified in (f)(iii) of this subsection, and ensure that the
			 replacement CO2 sensor meets the accuracy requirements
			 specified in (f)(iii) of this subsection before placing the rebreather in
			 operation.
(h) As an alternative to
			 using a continuously functioning CO2 sensor, the
			 employer may use a schedule for replacing CO2-sorbent
			 material provided by the rebreather manufacturer. The employer may use such a
			 schedule only when the rebreather manufacturer has developed it according to
			 the canister-testing protocol specified below in Condition 11, and must use the
			 canister within the temperature range for which the manufacturer conducted its
			 scrubber canister tests following that protocol. Variations above or below the
			 range are acceptable only after the manufacturer adds that lower or higher
			 temperature to the protocol.
(i)
			 When using CO2-sorbent replacement schedules, the
			 employer must ensure that each rebreather uses a manufactured (i.e.,
			 commercially prepacked), disposable scrubber cartridge containing a
			 CO2-sorbent material that:
(i) Is approved by the rebreather
			 manufacturer;
(ii) Removes
			 CO2 from the diver's exhaled gas; and
(iii) Maintains the
			 CO2 level in the breathable gas (i.e., the gas that a
			 diver inhales directly from the regulator) below a partial pressure of 0.01
			 ATA.
(j) As an
			 alternative to manufactured, disposable scrubber cartridges, the employer may
			 fill CO2 scrubber cartridges manually with
			 CO2-sorbent material when:
(i) The rebreather manufacturer permits
			 manual filling of scrubber cartridges;
(ii) The employer fills the scrubber
			 cartridges according to the rebreather manufacturer's instructions;
(iii) The employer replaces the
			 CO2-sorbent material using a replacement schedule
			 developed under (h) of this subsection; and
(iv) The employer demonstrates that manual
			 filling meets the requirements specified in (i) of this subsection.
(k) The employer must ensure that
			 each rebreather has an information module that provides:
(i) A visual (e.g., digital, graphic, analog)
			 or auditory (e.g., voice, pure tone) display that effectively warns the diver
			 of solenoid failure (when the rebreather uses solenoids) and other electrical
			 weaknesses or failures (e.g., low battery voltage);
(ii) For a semiclosed-circuit rebreather, a
			 visual display for the partial pressure of CO2, or
			 deviations above and below a preset CO2 partial pressure
			 of 0.005 ATA; and
(iii) For a
			 closed-circuit rebreather, a visual display for: Partial pressures of
			 O2 and CO2, or deviations above
			 and below a preset CO2 partial pressure of 0.005 ATA and
			 a preset O2 partial pressure of 1.40 ATA or lower; gas
			 temperature in the breathing loop; and water temperature.
(l) Before each day's diving operations, and
			 more often when necessary, the employer must ensure that the electrical power
			 supply and electrical and electronic circuits in each rebreather are operating
			 as required by the rebreather manufacturer's instructions.