Application
This unit is applicable to a diving assistant in the fishing, aquaculture or ornamental/display sectors of the seafood industry.
Diving using breathing equipment is not required in this unit.
Codes of practice covering diving operations for an industry sector and/or a geographic region may not require the support of a diving assistant. Reference should be made to local codes of practice and industry standards covering diving operations.
All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements, including occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines, maritime and occupational diver codes of practice and procedures and ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles.
Equipment operation, maintenance, repairs and calibrations are undertaken in a safe manner that conforms to manufacturer instructions. Appropriate personal protectiveequipment (PPE) is selected, checked, used and maintained.
Prerequisites
Apply first aid |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Complete pre-dive safety checks | 1.1. Availability of all essential equipment is confirmed 1.2. Major components of diving equipment are checked to ensure they are working efficiently and safely |
2. Identify occupational hazards | 2.1. Watch keeping techniques are used to identify occupational hazards and divers requiring assistance 2.2. Occupationalhazards that may cause injury or harm are assessed and action is taken to remove or minimise hazards 2.3. Systems and procedures to reduce hazards are devised and implemented |
3. Support diving operations | 3.1. Pre-dive plan is devised in consultation with divers to identify hazards and contingencies 3.2. Diver is briefed to establish and confirm the procedures to be used during the diving operation 3.3. Equipment is used to supply the diver with a safe and suitable working environment 3.4. Checks are made as required in the pre-dive plan 3.5. Records describing checks made and events occurring above water are kept 3.6. Dive procedures used on the surface are followed according to the pre-dive plan 3.7. Assistance is provided to diver in monitoring dive times and dive frequency |
4. Monitor the physical condition of the diver and provide assistance, as required | 4.1. Signs and symptoms of injury and other information relevant to the situation are monitored on a continuous basis and used to assess the diver's physical condition 4.2. Assistance appropriate to the diver's physical condition is provided to minimise injury or harm 4.3. Decompression procedures are applied, as required, to minimise the risk of an adverse medical condition |
5. Store and maintain diving equipment | 5.1. Equipment is checked for serviceability, faulty equipment is marked and maintenance is arranged 5.2. Equipment is stowed 5.3. Records are completed in a legible manner and forwarded to supervisor or stored |
Required Skills
Required skills |
Required skills include: administering first aid checking equipment to ensure operability communicating with diver on pre-dive plan and procedures conforming with dive procedures relevant to the role of diver's attendant maintaining diving equipment and identifying and rectifying basic faults using equipment required for the support of diving operations (note: diving using breathing equipment is not required in this unit) watch keeping literacy skills to: interpret industry codes of practice and guidelines keep records read the diver's medical companion in case of emergency complete 'dive accident medical information' forms numeracy skills to: perform basic calculations involving pressure-volume-temperature relationships use dive decompression tables |
Required knowledge |
Required knowledge includes: diving procedures relating to surface activities specified by enterprise and industry guidelines hazards which may be encountered by a diver principles of diving physics relating to the practical application of the gas procedures for using decompression tables symptoms and signs of a diver's physical conditions as observed in a diver |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit | Assessment must confirm the ability to: stow and maintain diving equipment, and identify and rectify basic faults assist personnel conducting diving operations to perform work in the fishing, aquaculture or ornamental/display sectors of the seafood industry devise and implement systems and procedures that reduce underwater hazards maintain a surface supply of air to the diver maintain a watch to identify hazards, assess the hazards and take appropriate action record and access diving information respond to emergency situations and access assistance as required Assessment must confirm knowledge of: content of the pre-dive plan that forms the basis of dive briefings decompression procedures hazards associated with the operation physics as it relates to gas laws symptoms and signs of diving medical conditions |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. Resources may include: a realistic but predictable diving environment with assistance at hand diving equipment as listed in the range of variables |
Method of assessment | The following assessment methods are suggested: demonstration practical exercises project (work or scenario based) written or oral short-answer testing |
Guidance information for assessment | This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Operations may be for: | checking and removing tangles from vessel propeller checking underwater equipment collecting lost tools and equipment, dead animals and debris collecting sea animals: abalone bivalve molluscs beche-de-mer corals, live rock or other invertebrates crayfish and lobsters sea urchin seaweed or algae collecting sediment or other environmental samples eradicating or removing predators installing, servicing and maintaining ponds, cages, longlines and associated equipment tending aquacultured or held (display) animals |
Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include: | biodiversity and genetically modified organisms biosecurity, translocation and quarantine Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) and other import requirements business or workplace operations, policies and practices ESD principles, environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control fisheries or aquaculture regulations, permits and licences food safety, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody health and welfare of aquatic animals Indigenous land rights and cultural activities, including fishing by traditional methods maritime and occupational diving operations, safety at sea and pollution control OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control |
OHSguidelines may include: | appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers clean, uncluttered, hygienic workplace codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner OHS training register safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances safe systems and procedures for outdoor work, including protection from solar radiation, fall protection, confined space entry and the protection of people in the workplace systems and procedures for the safe maintenance of property, machinery and equipment, including hydraulics and exposed moving parts the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PPE |
ESD principles may include: | applying animal welfare ethics and procedures controlling effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution controlling weeds, pests, predators and diseases, and stock health maintenance improving energy efficiency increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources maintaining biodiversity by sustainable fisheries or broodstock/seedstock collection minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions reducing emissions of greenhouse gases reducing use of non-renewable resources reducing energy use reducing interactions with native and protected flora and fauna, marine or land parks or areas reducing live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control undertaking facility quarantine, biosecurity and translocation of livestock and genetic material using and recycling of water, and maintaining water quality |
PPE may include: | buoyancy vest or personal floatation device (PFD) non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear personal locator beacon or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) protective eyewear, glasses and face mask protective outdoor clothing for tropical conditions respirator or face mask safety harness sun protection (e.g. sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses) uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons) waterproof clothing (e.g. wet weather gear and waders) |
Essentialequipment may include: | decompression equipment: depth gauge shot-line spare air watch diving suits: dry warmed wet self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) surface-supplied breathing apparatus (SSBA) safety and emergency: first aid kit oxygen bail out bottle weights, tools, fins, mask, buoyancy apparatus and catch bags |
Major components of diving equipment are checked for: | presence, suitability and operability of: vessel equipment diving equipment safety and emergency equipment pre-dive conditions diving conditions post-dive conditions |
Occupational hazards may include: | aquatic animals entanglement isolation of the dive site other vessels sharp objects water character: clarity current temperature weather underwater terrain |
Occupational hazards can be assessed by: | identifying causes listing hazards predicting potential for and likelihood of hazards |
Records may include: | air quality checks catch, location and number of dives diving equipment maintenance manually recorded or dive computer data: air use clarity current dive duration entry and exit times injury maximum depth temperature |
Procedures may relate to: | pre-dive dive post-dive maintenance shore diving vessel diving |
Physical condition may include: | burns decompression sickness: factors affecting predisposition hypothermia hyperventilation lung or ear drum barotrauma near drowning, drowning and saltwater aspiration poisoning, toxicity and narcosis resulting from: carbon monoxide carbon dioxide oxygen stings and wounds inflicted by marine animals shock from bleeding squeezes |
Assistance may be: | first aid from external sources routine using radio or electronic communications equipment |
Decompression procedures may include: | ascent rate diving physics: partial pressures in gas mixtures pressure-depth relationship pressure-volume-temperature relationship for gasses flight time exclusion pressure-solubility relationship for gases repetitive group safety stops surface interval |
Sectors
Fishing operations
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor