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COVID-19 AND UK DIVING OPERATIONS – 14 Recommendations

This document has been modified from the original DAN document by DAN/RSTC-Europe/BDSG for specific use in UK/Ireland.

It provides some useful recommendations on risk prevention and mitigation procedures that diving operators may consider when national, regional or local authorities officially allow
the reopening of diving activities Directives issued by the respective administrative authorities (e.g. Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HSE, etc.), should also be taken into account.

The epidemiological and regulatory situation is constantly evolving. As a result, this document may be subject to changes and updates which you will find here on this page.

DOWNLOAD:

V.08.07.2020 – PDF File

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Recreational Diving Medical

Recreational Diving Medical – renewals

At the BDSG COVID-19 working group meeting on 28th May, the HSE informed the group that due to the lockdown, they were extending HSE medicals by 3 months for asymptomatic divers or those who have had similar symptoms but been tested negative for COVID-19. The BDSG asked the UKDMC if they also planned to extend Recreational Diving Medicals which expire during the lockdown.

The UKDMC met on Saturday 30th of May to discuss this point and indicated they would not be extending recreational diving medicals and gave clear reasons why.

‘The duration of a recreational diving medical is determined by the assessing doctor based on the anticipated stability of the underlying medical condition and can be up to a maximum of “indefinitely”. When a recreational diver’s medical has expired, it is not just due to time, but because they need a further medical review.’

‘The HSE’s automatic extension is only for working divers in whom “there are no problems and the diver’s last medical certificate was for 12 months”. That means any diver, whether recreational or working, who has problems or whose certification is time-limited, will require assessment by an appropriate medical practitioner in order to extend their certification. As a result, the UKDMC’s approach is wholly consistent with that of HSE’

UKDMC

Although this may not be what divers may wish to hear, the logic is sound as the expiry date of a recreational diving medical is based on a medical risk assessment.

The members of the BDSG are:

BHA (British Hyperbaric Association)
BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club)
DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network)
DDRC Healthcare (Diving Diseases Research Centre)
DDST (Defence Diving Standards Team)
Diving Ireland (Irish Underwater Federation)
GADAP (Global Association of Diving Assistance Providers)
GUE (Global Underwater Explorers)
HSE Diving Inspectorate (Health & Safety)
IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers)
IDEST (Inspectorate for Diving Equipment, Servicing and Testing)
FINS (Federation of Inland Dive Sites)
MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
PBA (Professional Boatman’s Association)
PSAI Europe (Professional Scuba Association International)
RAID UK (Rebreather Association of International Divers)
RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)
SAA (Sub Aqua Association)
ScotSAC (Scottish Sub Aqua Club)
SITA (Scuba Industries Trade Association)
SSI (Scuba Schools International)
TDI SDI (Technical Diving International / Scuba Diving International)
UK DMC (UK Diving Medical Committee)

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Prepare to ‘Arrive, Dive, Leave’, says the BDSG

Earlier today – Thursday 28 May 2020 – the British Diving Safety Group COVID-19 team met to review recreational diving practices and the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The team are positively working together to enable divers to get back into the water safely.

Whilst there has been progress this week in three areas, the main message remains the same. “At all times follow any specific guidance from your devolved Government administration regarding exercise and social distancing.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-socialdistancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing

Inland Dive Sites

On Tuesday 26 May a BDSG member provided hosting facilities and chaired an online meeting of the UK Inland Dive Sites (UKIDS). Whilst these dive centres acknowledge they would love to open their waters to divers now, it has to be done in a responsible manner that is safe and sustainable. Common protocols and measures were discussed including how to control the number of divers on the site, parking, booking in, the sharing of facilities, kitting up, surface interval social distancing etc.
Inland sites now have to put in place specific procedures in order to mitigate risk.
Each site will be operating at less than maximum capacity. The key message will be “arrive, dive, leave.”

Each inland dive centre will open only when they are satisfied that their physical site logistics, social distancing and infection control will work for all. The site, the staff , and the divers. Whilst best practice will be adhered to, procedures will vary from site to site because each inland dive site has its own unique features.

Training

The BDSG COVID-19 team is acutely aware that the commencement of dive
training is a priority for many businesses and clubs. It remains vital that any training activity is still conducted in accordance with the relevant national Government guidelines.

UKDMC

The UK Diving Medical Committee met over the weekend.
The diving doctors are concerned that they do not know how the lungs and heart will recover after COVID-19 infection. Depending on how the lungs heal, it could lead to a risk of pulmonary barotrauma. There is evidence from the Diamond Princess cruise passengers that asymptomatic people had significant changes to their lungs.
Coronavirus can also affect heart function, which could lead to immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO).

The UKDMC are currently writing guidelines in plain English (which may include a flow chart) to enable divers to self-assess and be aware of the potential risks. For those that want more information, an article on COVID-19 was published in SCUBA Magazine last week. This was endorsed by UKDMC.

DAN EUROPE

Following discussions at today’s meeting, DAN Europe is now working in
partnership with the BDSG to produce a specific and enhanced set of guidelines for British divers. This is based on DAN Europe’s current guidance ‘COVID-19 and Diving Activities: 10 Safety Recommendations’. A number of BDSG members are working on these amendments.

OTHER DIVING RESOURCES

One of the strengths of the BDSG is that all the diving agencies work together to achieve safe recreational diving for all. The group has therefore agreed that where one agency produces relevant guidelines on a specific topic, that these are shared or signed posted to, by all the agencies.
“Please work your way back into diving in a gentle manner”
In the meantime, the BDSG still advocates shallow, progressive shore diving subject to your local devolved Government guidelines. Scottish diving will begin to open up from Friday 29 May 2020. At this point, you will be permitted to travel short distances for exercise in Scotland, i.e. broadly within five miles.

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The BDSG issues guidance for the resumption of diving in England

The BDSG issues guidance for the resumption of diving in England
Earlier today (Thursday 21 May 2020) the British Diving Safety Group COVID-19 team met to
discuss the resumption of recreational diving activities.

The working group has cautiously welcomed a mindful, progressive return to shore diving,
because it naturally lends itself to social distancing above the surface. It is worth noting that
below the surface divers routinely dive in full personal protective equipment (PPE).

The BDSG has today issued clear guidance for diving in England. When the devolved
Government advice changes in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the BDSG will also
amend its advice. The Republic of Ireland resumed limited diving activities on Monday 18
May, eg recreational non-training shore diving to 12 metres.

BDSG Guidance for diving in England, as of 21 May 2020

  1. You must follow the Coronavirus (COVID-19) government guidance for your
    country at all times.
  2. You must follow the normal safety protocols recommended by your training
    organisation, and any special guidance provided by them regarding COVID-19.
  3. Without any specific guidance on water sports or diving, it is the BDSG’s
    interpretation that diving is considered as an outdoor activity and as such, shore
    diving should be practical if done while following points 5 and 6.
  4. Boat diving will be inherently less practical, but some boat operators may be able
    to meet these recommendations.
  5. You can dive with one other person not from your household if you follow the
    two-metre rule while out of the water.
  6. You can dive with anyone from your household and there is no need to follow
    the two-metre rule while out of the water.
  7. If you have had symptoms or positive testing for COVID-19, consult with a doctor
    before diving, ideally a doctor specialising in diving medicine, eg UK Diving
    Medical Committee (www.ukdmc.org). In any event, you should be following
    self-isolation guidelines relevant for your country if you have tested positive for
    COVID-19, came into contact with anyone tested positive or have any symptoms
    or suspect that you may have COVID-19.
  8. We strongly recommend that only experienced and fit divers return to diving at
    this stage, due to the limited capacity of the emergency services.
  9. Additional guidance and advice on the possible consequences of COVID-19 for
    diving is available from DAN Europe (www.daneurope.org ‘COVID-19 and Diving
    Activities: 10 Safety Recommendations’).

We believe that the Scottish Government will amend their COVID-19 restrictions on 28 May
2020.
At present the BDSG COVID-19 Working Group is meeting on a weekly basis, in order to
review this guidance as the situation evolves.

BDSG Members
The members are

▪ BHA (British Hyperbaric Association)
▪ BSAC (British Sub-Aqua Club)
▪ DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network)
▪ DDRC Healthcare (Diving Diseases Research Centre)
▪ Diving Ireland (Irish Underwater Council)
▪ FIDS (Federation of Inland Dive Sites)
▪ GADAP (Global Association of Diving Assistance Providers)
▪ GUE (Global Underwater Explorers)
▪ HSE Diving Inspectorate (Health & Safety)
▪ IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers)
▪ IDEST (Inspectorate for Diving Equipment, Servicing and Testing)
▪ PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
▪ PBA (Professional Boatman’s Association)
▪ PSAI Europe (Professional Scuba Association International)
▪ RAID UK (Rebreather Association of International Divers)
▪ RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)
▪ SAA (Sub Aqua Association)
▪ ScotSac (Scottish Sub Aqua Club)
▪ SITA (Scuba Industries Trade Association)
▪ SSI (Scuba Schools International)
▪ TDI / SDI (Technical Diving International / Scuba Diving International)
▪ UK DMC (Diving Medical Committee)

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Diving in the COVID/post-COVID era

12th May 2020:

 

Diving in the COVID/post-COVID era

A special meeting of the BDSG was held on 12th May.  A number of medical professionals and non-diving agencies attended, including the MCA, RNLI and the HSE, along with representatives from the dive training organisations.  The purpose of the meeting was to determine how the latest changes in government guidance may apply to the UK recreational and technical diving community.

Infrastructure needs establishing

The consensus of the meeting was that the infrastructure to safely support recreational and technical diving activities are still lacking and requires more time to re-establish itself.

Contamination risks remain too high during the preparation for diving and could put undue pressure on businesses which must operate safely and within the law.

Also, if emergency support was necessary, that would place an unacceptably high burden on rescue services and medical treatment facilities at a time when they are already stretched.  For example, if an asymptomatic diver needed rescuing by the RNLI, and one or a number of the crew caught the coronavirus, the whole lifeboat station would have to be put into special measures, which might mean temporarily being unable to respond to emergency calls.

Further BDSG consultations are set to take place to coincide with any changes made to UK government guidance.

With regret, we must encourage UK divers to act responsibly and not to go diving. 

#StayAlert

Chair – BDSG

Here is a detailed first-hand experience from a medical professional who is a keen diver and survived COVID-19.

Diving in the era of coronavirus – A first-hand account from a covid-19 survivor

 

Fact File

The British Diving Safety Group (BDSG) was formed in 2002 to promote safe diving practices amongst the British sport diving community.

It is chaired by the RNLI. The group has broad representation, with all of the UK diver training agencies, the HSE and the MCA having a seat at the table.

These organisations regularly meet in order to work towards a common goal; to make diving safer. By sharing and analysing incident data, devising safety initiatives and then promoting them to divers, the group has a broad influence on the recreational diving community.

The comprehensive nature of the BDSG, reflecting as it does all of the significant interests in the British sport diving scene means that it is uniquely positioned to significantly influence diving safety.

BDSG Members

The members of the BDSG include:

  • BHA (British Hyperbaric Association)
  • BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club)
  • DAN Europe
  • DDRC Healthcare (Diving Diseases Research Centre)
  • DDST (Defence Diving Standards Team)
  • Irish Underwater Federation (Diving Ireland)
  • GADAP (diving insurance)
  • RAID UK (Rebreather Association of International Divers)
  • GUE (Global Underwater Explorers)
  • HSE Diving Inspectorate (Health & Safety)
  • IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers)
  • IDEST (Inspectorate for diving equipment, servicing and testing)
  • MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
  • PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
  • Ian Taylor (professional charter boat skipper)
  • PSAI Europe (Professional Scuba Association International)
  • RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute)
  • SAA (Sub Aqua Association)
  • SSI (Scuba Schools International)
  • ScotSAC (Scottish Sub Aqua Club)
  • SITA (Scuba Industries Trade Association)
  • TDI/SDI (Technical Diving International / Scuba Diving International)
  • UK DMC (Diving Medical Committee).