Divers provide essential underwater assistance to the ship, and their job is dangerous. We need to do all we can to protect them and make sure they make it home safely.
If it is necessary to utilise divers to carry out essential repairs or to carry out underwater surveys, there are several steps that must be taken:

• All requests for diving services are to be made in the first instance to the Ship Management Team;
• Once such a request is approved, the Master is to make sure they are precisely clear about what services the diving company have been engaged to perform and what is to be achieved;
• Permission to carry out diving operations is to be sought from the port authorities; 

Upon the arrival of the diving contractors:

• A meeting is to be held with the Master and Chief Engineer to discuss the scope of work and to point out the location of all overboard discharges and sea suctions that will remain in use during the dive;

• Safety requirements are to be discussed and agreed between the ship and the diving company;  

An Underwater Work Permit is required to be completed before any diving operations commence.

At all times divers are in the water, all moving underwater machinery is to be tagged out and clear notices to the effect that divers are in the water should be displayed in the engine room and on the Bridge. 

Whenever diving operations are underway, signal flag "A" must be displayed.