29 CFR §1910.422
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
- (a)General. The employer shall comply with the following requirements which are applicable to each diving operation unless otherwise specified.
- (b)Water entry and exit.
- (c)Communications.
- (d)Decompression tables. Decompression, repetitive, and no-decompression tables (as appropriate) shall be at the dive location.
- (e)Dive profiles. A depth-time profile, including when appropriate any breathing gas changes, shall be maintained for each diver during the dive including decompression.
- (f)Hand-held power tools and equipment.
- (g)Welding and burning.
- (1)A current supply switch to interrupt the current flow to the welding or burning electrode shall be:
- (2)The welding machine frame shall be grounded.
- (3)Welding and burning cables, electrode holders, and connections shall be capable of carrying the maximum current required by the work, and shall be properly insulated.
- (4)Insulated gloves shall be provided to divers performing welding and burning operations.
- (5)Prior to welding or burning on closed compartments, structures or pipes, which contain a flammable vapor or in which a flammable vapor may be generated by the work, they shall be vented, flooded, or purged with a mixture of gases which will not support combustion.
- (h)Explosives.
- (1)Employers shall transport, store, and use explosives in accordance with this section and the applicable provisions of §§ 1910.109 and 1926.912 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
- (2)Electrical continuity of explosive circuits shall not be tested until the diver is out of the water.
- (3)Explosives shall not be detonated while the diver is in the water.
- (i)Termination of dive. The working interval of a dive shall be terminated when:
- (1)A diver requests termination;
- (2)A diver fails to respond correctly to communications or signals from a dive team member;
- (3)Communications are lost and can not be quickly re-established between the diver and a dive team member at the dive location, and between the designated person-in-charge and the person controlling the vessel in liveboating operations; or
- (4)A diver begins to use diver-carried reserve breathing gas or the dive-location reserve breathing gas.
- (i)Termination of dive. The working interval of a dive shall be terminated when: