History and Standards

    Up until just after those two hurricanes that gave us the last couple years uninterrupted work you didn't get depth pay for the first 50 feet. I just wanted to pass on a little history that might go by the wayside if doesn't get told. The guy that got that for us is Travis Detke who was the Ops Manger for Aquatica. At the time Cal Dive owned Aquatica and was about to swallow up STOLT when the storms hit. Travis and I had worked closely for a couple years and every time divers pay was brought up Travis would say the divers should get depth for every foot. I would laugh and think fat chance, we have been getting screwed out of that one since I've been in the business. I was acting, that means don't tell anyone, Lead Supervisor for Cal Dive and Aquatica so I got to go to all the muck le muck meetings and stick in my two cents. As soon as the fist hurricane was gone the price of diving went up and the poaching of divers and tenders started. At the: How-Are-We-Going-To-Keep-Them-And-Get-More meeting Travis struck and I'll be dammed; the powers that be thought it was a good Idea, Well, within a month of Cal Dive/Stolt/Aquatica getting it everyone was paying depth from the surface. So if you run into Travis Detke, buy him a drink and say thanks.

What's happening to the work?
Well, for the guys that are new, by new I mean the last couple years to the GOM, its called winter slow down. Sometimes winters aren't too bad for work, sometimes there is no work. So get use to it, this is the real world of commercial diving in the Gulf. Yes there will be cut backs by the Diving Companies. In most cases they won't have to send out pink slips, most of those that leave, will go because they didn't bank any money when it was rock & roll work. If you're good, stick it out. I would hate to see some of the good young hands that joined us after the hurricanes leave.

What's happening to our business?
Change is well in hand and it will be the most wide ranging change I have seen in my 39 years in this industry. I going to list some of what the ADCI is recommending to their board of directors for Revision #6 of The ADCI Consensus Standards. Why is this important? Because if they are passed by the Board of Directors, they will be presenting these to the Coast Guard for consideration for their new CFR's. CFR's are law, not agreements or suggestions. So if you plan to work in this business for a while, pay attention.

Recommended for Revision #6:
Saturation
For Saturation Diving: There will be a new recommended requirement for a Hyperbaric Emergency Evacuation System, excluding the bell. This will also have specific parameters for emergency on-board gas and the need for a portable LSCS (Life Support Control System), ready for immediate mobilization to the dive site. There will be requirements for all LARS (Launch and Recovery Systems) to be man-rated, a secondary system for Bell recovery, as well as a redundant power supply. There will be new manning requirements for all applications of surface supplied diving applications.
In other words they be making our Sat Systems much safer.

Oxy Arc Burning
A. Any oxy-arc cutting operation is potentially hazardous and should, therefore, be part of a risk assessment. The operational requirements in conjunction with the competency of personnel assigned to perform the task and the operational characteristics of the equipment should be assessed to determine the degree of risk involved.

B. All personnel directly involved in Underwater Burning Operation, both the Oxygen/Arc Cutting Process and the Exothermic Cutting Process, should have passed a basic Underwater Burning Safety Class, based on Ocean s Technology Inc. Underwater OXY-ARC Burning Course. Each Dive Company should certify their personal to the following minimum Standard.

1. Supervisors, Divers, and Tenders should take a written test on Safe Burning Practices.
2. Supervisors, Divers, and Tenders should demonstrate practical knowledge by selecting equipment, checking it out and setting it up properly.
3. Divers should Demonstrate Safe Burning Technique with all company approved Rods to a minimum of:

With Exothermic rod
A) Burn 6” Schedule 80 pipe using no more than 3 rods, No Hangers. 4 minutes start to finish.
B) Burn ¾” thick steel for a distance 24 inches using no more than 5 rods. No HANGERS. 8 minutes start to finish.
C) Burn 1” thick clean steel for a distance of 18” using no more than 5 rods. No Hangers. 12 minutes start to finish..

With Tubular Steel
A) Burn ½” clean steel for a distance of 18” using no more than 3 rods, No Hangers. 4 minutes start to finish.
B) Burn 1” clean steel for a distance of 18” using no more than 3 rods. No Hangers. 6 minutes start to finish.
C) Burn 2” clean steel for a distance of 18” using no more than 5 rods. No Hangers. 10 minutes start to finish.

On any job over a 100 ft or requiring Decompression the minimum crew will go from 3 to 5 if the recommendations are accepted. Now that's just three areas I've mentioned but I think you get the drift. Every way we do our work will be affected.
 

Please see: http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/537.htm

This report to MMS, HSE and others will document a minimum of 30 deaths

and  600 incidents involving explosions due to Underwater Burning.

If we are not on top of this before the report is issued, then

someone else will dictate what will be done.

and...

Real Deal SEAL Team website: www.navyfrogmen.com