Duties and Responsibilities

Line Office & Fleet Diving Officer
Unit Diving Supervisor
Divemaster

Line Office & Fleet Diving Officer

1. Designation
Directors of Line Offices that conduct diving operations, shall, upon the recommendation of the Director, NOAA Diving Program, appoint Line Office Diving Officers (LODO). The Director, NC, shall, upon the recommendation of the Director, NOAA Diving Program, appoint NC Fleet Diving Officer (FDO).

2. Qualifications
LO Diving Officers/NC Fleet Diving Officers shall be currently-certified NOAA Advanced Working divers or higher.

3. Responsibilities
The LODO/FDO shall be responsible, within a line office for:

• Maintain familiarity with all diving activities within LOs/NC.
• Assist in the planning/reviewing of diving activities within the LOs/NC and ensure compliance with NOAA policies, procedures, and standards relating to diving operations.
• Conduct annual on-site diving unit safety inspections, or appoint qualified designees to conduct inspections, and forward inspection reports to the Director, NOAA Diving Program, within 30 days after calendar year end.
• Advise and assist the Director, NOAA Diving Program, in planning and coordinating diver training programs for diver certification to meet NOAA’s research and technical diving requirements.
• Act as the LO/NC representative on the NOAA Diving Safety Board.

4. Duties
The LODO/FDO duties include but are not limited to:

• Review and overseeing diving activities performed at the units within the Line Office/NC.
• Plan, supervise and conduct dives.
• Conduct annual dive locker inspections at units within the Line Office/NC.
• Evaluate and recommend NOAA and Non-NOAA personnel for certification and training.
• Recommend and conduct refresher training for LO’s/NC divers per NDP guidelines.
• Recommend requalification programs for LOs/NC divers, whose diving certifications have lapsed, to the Director, NOAA Diving Program.
• Investigate and prepare reports of diving accidents/incidents that occur within the LOs/NC.
• Submit annual reports of all diving activities within 30 days of the end of the fiscal year to the Director, NOAA Diving Program.
• Originate request to NDC for reciprocity with other organizations.
• Serve as voting members of the NOAA Diving Safety Board.

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Unit Diving Supervisor

1. Designation
Unit Diving Supervisors shall be appointed for various NOAA installations which conduct diving operations or have various ships and parties which conduct diving operations. These diving supervisors shall, upon the recommendation of the Line Office Diving Officer/Fleet Diving Officer and approval of the Director, NOAA Diving Program, be appointed by the installation directors.

2. Qualifications
The Unit Diving Supervisor shall be a currently certified NOAA Advanced Working Diver, successfully complete a UDS orientation program or equivalent, and capable of carrying out the responsibilities listed below.

3. Responsibilities
The Unit Diving Supervisor shall be responsible, within the unit for:

• Ensuring that all diving gear and accessory equipment is maintained in a safe operating condition.
• Ensuring the maintenance of equipment files at the unit and the ship/party levels, to include type, brand name, serial number, and repairs completed on compressors, tanks, regulators, depth gauges, pressure gauges, and other dive equipment.
• Ensuring that a competent Divemaster is in charge of diving operations conducted by the unit's various ships and parties.
• Submitting an annual report within 20 days after the end of the calendar year to the LODO/FDO.
• Reporting immediately all diving-related accidents which occur within their unit and submitting a written report within 10 days to the LODO/FDO.
• Maintaining a file on each diver in their unit, or delegating this responsibility to the ship/party Divemaster. The file maintained on each diver shall include, but not be limited to: a complete copy of the diver's most recent medical examination report, a copy of the diver's Letter of Certification, and copies of the diver's training records.

4. Duties
The Unit Diving Supervisor’s duties include but are not limited to:

• Overseeing and planing all diving activities performed at the unit.
• Supervising and conducting dives.
• Preparing and revising the unit’s Diving Accident Management Plan.
• Evaluating and recommending NOAA and Non-NOAA personnel for certification/training.
• Conducting refresher training for unit divers per NDP guidelines.
• Reviewing diver physicals, logs and other unit requests and forwarding all materials to the NOAA Diving Center (NDC).
• Completing on-site repairs or arranging for replacement of inoperable dive and support equipment.
• Coordinating the issuing and returning of Standardized Equipment Program (SEP) dive gear between NDC and unit divers.
• Completing annual dive locker inspections and forwarding reports to respective LODO/FDO and NDC.
• Completing and forwarding annual operations reports to respective LODO/FDO and NDC.
• Originating requests to NDC for reciprocity with other organizations.

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Divemaster

1. Designation
Depending on the unit organization, a Divemaster shall be assigned for each ship/party/division by the UDS for all diving operations. In the UDS’s absence, the LODO/FDO or Director, NOAA Diving Program shall assign the Divemaster. The Divemaster is in complete charge of all diving operations conducted by the ship/party or division.

2. Qualifications
The Divemaster shall be a currently certified NOAA Working Diver, experienced in that specific type of diving done at the unit/ship/party, shall complete the NOAA Divemaster course or equivalent, and be capable of carrying out the responsibilities listed below.

3. Responsibilities
The Divemaster shall be responsible, within the unit for:

a.	Ensuring that all diving operations are conducted safely in accordance with prescribed NOAA Diving Safety Rules and regulations and OSHA diving regulations.
b.	Ensuring that all divers are certified, properly trained and physically fit to perform the required diving and that the prescribed files are maintained if the responsibility has been delegated by the UDS.
c.	Ensuring that all diving gear and accessory equipment is maintained in a safe operating condition and that the prescribed files are maintained if the responsibility has been delegated by the UDS.
d.	Ensuring that emergency procedures are in place and understood by all personnel before diving.
e.	Ensuring that all divers are monitored after each dive for symptoms of decompression sickness.
f.	Reporting immediately all diving-related accidents which occur within their unit and submitting a written report within seven (7) days to the UDS.

4. Duties
The Divemaster’s duties include but are not limited to:

a.	Planning, organizing and supervising dives performed at the unit/ship/party.
b.	Evaluating diving conditions and diver’s to ensure safe operations.
c.	Verifying emergency procedures as outlined in the accident management plan and ensuring that appropriate first aid equipment is available on site before conducting diving operations.
d.	Evaluating and recommending NOAA and Non-NOAA personnel for certification and training.
e.	Conducting refresher training for unit divers per UDS/NDP guidelines.
f.	Coordinating the issuing and returning of Standardized Equipment Program (SEP) dive gear between the UDS and unit divers.
g.	Completing on site repairs or arranging for replacement of inoperable dive and support equipment.
h.	Operating and maintaining compressors and air storage systems.
i.	Checking and maintaining emergency oxygen equipment and other first aid supplies.
j.	Monitoring divers for signs of decompression sickness or a diving related illness for a minimum of thirty (30) minutes after each dive.

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