Scuba Diving Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Safeguarding — Ensure all staff and instructors have undergone background checks and safeguarding training. Establish clear reporting procedures for any concerns regarding participant safety. Instructors should maintain appropriate boundaries and supervise interactions between participants and staff closely.
• Difficulty with buoyancy control — Divers should receive training on buoyancy control using their BCDs and weights. Pre-dive checks should ensure proper weighting, and divers should practice neutral buoyancy at different depths. Instructors should reinforce the importance of buoyancy control for safety.
• Entanglement in nets or debris — Divers should carry cutting tools such as knives or line cutters and streamline their equipment to avoid snagging. Brief divers on local hazards and ensure site inspection before diving. Consider using a surface marker buoy (SMB) to aid visibility and communication.
• Poor visibility — Ensure divers are equipped with torches and signaling devices in low-visibility conditions. Buddy pairs should stay close together and maintain regular contact through hand signals. Pre-dive briefings should outline procedures for lost buddy situations.
• Equipment malfunction — Conduct thorough pre-dive checks on all equipment, including regulators, BCDs, and dive computers. Ensure divers are familiar with handling malfunctions underwater and carry redundant equipment, such as an alternate air source.