If you're a commercial diving outfit, then before you take on a job it might be important to consider the larger ramifications of what your work entails. This includes making sure the areas where you will be diving are within the boundaries of your chosen commercial diving insurance package, but things can also get political quickly depending on the particular conditions.
Decades ago, a ship called the "Brigadier-General M. G. Zalinski" wrecked off the coast of Ottawa in the Grenville Channel. According to the Vancouver Sun, a recent operation in the Great White North has caused a stir because the local government chose American divers to investigate a crash site.
Not only was the ship an American vessel, it discharged a large amount of oil into the surrounding water. Environmental concerns have been surrounding this wreck for more than a decade now, but some have expressed doubt that the government's explanation for contracting out of the country, saying that just because the situation constitutes an "emergency," doesn't mean local workers should be ignored. The Canadian Association of Contracting Divers' executive director, Doug Elsey, told the Sun as much.
"The emergency excuse is just that — an excuse to bring in personnel without using qualified Canadian divers," he said.
Although Jack Knox of the Victoria Times Colonist reports that the operation went off swimmingly, that doesn't mean that there aren't some procedural questions to clear up, especially considering how long officials have known about the problem of the crashed ship and its leaking fuel.
It goes to show that these situations can create pressure on companies that provide commercial diving services, as well as their customers. Diving insurance can help ensure that stakeholders have one less thing to worry about when these problems arise.