Pure and simple, two things gave us this feast.

    The hurricanes of course, and the shortsightedness of most of the Offshore Oil Industry:

    1)    Poor or no maintenance to any part of their structures below the waves.

    2)    Hammering the diving companies for cheaper and ever cheaper services. That means smaller boats, less equipment and often times understaffed Dive Crews. Things like using the third diver as your Gas Rack Operator, Tenders working as riggers and dope hands etc.

    3)    There is not one trunk line or supply line to a trunk line that meets the DOT Standards. Well, it may if it was just laid and is still under six months old. A DOT Line is any line with product for sale, from the time it leaves the structure heading for the beach. If you remember from the classes that the diving companies where forced to pay for: Every valve in a DOT line must be visually inspected every 6 months, not to exceed 7 months. The same valve must be manually operated once every 12 months, not to exceed 15 months. I have never done it and know of no one who has and I've been in this business since 1969.
 

    Here is a nasty little item that I'm sure most divers and tenders don't know. For a fact, at least two of the major oil companies have a little item in their safety rating program that allows them to drop a Dive Company rating for not being cooperative. You know your company has had no accidents but suddenly they went from an A rating to a C. What in the hell is that?

    Several of the major oil companies are big proponents of the IMCA Standards. Why they like it, and the problem with IMCA, stem from the same often ignored fact. IMCA is a suggestion not a Standard and the Oil Company can wave any damn suggestion they want.

    As the guys from Chino used to say, “They are talking out of both sides of their neck”. The shame of it is I think they really do want safety. It's just they've been BS’ing so long that they think a job, often on too small a vessel, understaffed, with under qualified people, is just fine as long as you do your JSA and your BSP cards.

    Enough negative; on the positive side, I do believe a few good things are starting to happen. The Association of Diving Contractors have made many positive moves and if they are followed through on, will go a long way in improving safety over the long run. Yes I even believe the Oil Companies want their jobs done safely. Here are a couple of things I would suggest to them that will help move things in that direction:

    1)    Nothing should affect any Dive Contractors Safety Rating other then safety issues!!!

    2)    When you pick your alliances, insist on an on-going training program for real underwater work issues. Not things like “Blood

            Pathogens”. And pay for the program. Training is expensive but it pays for itself in the long run!

    3)    Make sure the people who are writing your safety rules understand the work the rules are being applied to.

PS:    I want to thank those who have kept trying to make the ADC more effective from within the system.

         Your perseverance has given us the opportunity for change.