One way of limiting the risk of an accident during a commercial dive mission is insisting on qualified diver staff that are aware of all government requirements. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains standards for proper dive operations, including a checklist for dive team qualifications, based on the best safety procedures for before, during and after the dive.
Several of these concern situations and behaviors that might lead to lower risk. For example, surface and underwater conditions need to be assessed during the planning phase, along with a specified diver briefing that covers possible issues that may arise during work. The employer is also supposed to inform divers of how to report physical problems they might encounter.
However, there are other ways a diving contractor can prepare for dive work. A recent ADCI TV episode pointed out the differing policies that dive companies can follow, including the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) international consensus standards, as well as the dominant regulations of whichever country the company operates in.
ADCI Consultant Jon Hazelbaker listed some of the things that an auditor from that organization looks for before certification, including personnel checks to verify physical fitness and proper training. All of the equipment used on-site also needs to pass inspection.
"The dive firms benefit from our audit process, but more importantly, their clients benefit from the knowledge that when they hire an ADCI general member dive firm, that they have a dive firm that is fully vetted and that all of their operations are going to be in full compliance with all applicable standards," he said in the video interview.
With commercial diving insurance, businesses may possibly stand a better chance of recovering losses after an accident, depending on the policy purchased.