Diving Officer (DO) and diving member responsibilities

This table is designed to provide guidance on what we define as diving within as well as outside of BSAC’s ‘Safe Diving’ and the associated responsibilities.

If you have any further questions regarding these dive definitions and responsibilities please contact the Diver Resources Team on 0151 350 6203 or by email.

Authorised club dives

Dive definition	Diving Officer (DO) responsibility	Member responsibility	Example
Diving within current 'Safe Diving'.	If the dive is conducted with DO approval, DO accepts full responsibility for the dive. The DO is accountable to ensure that the person appointed as the Dive Manager is properly qualified and experienced for the task and will manage operations so as to be within current 'Safe Diving'.	To comply with 'Safe Diving' and with the instructions given by the appointed Dive Manager. To report to the Dive Manager any departures from ”Safe Diving” whether planned or unplanned. To be aware that ”Safe Diving” and DO or Dive Manager’s instructions are designed to minimise risk and maximise safety of the diver and others. Deliberate contravention may result in the DO taking action to protect BSAC members and other divers.	Any DO authorised dive. DO may sanction all Dive Leader (and above) in club to organise and run branch dives to known locations without notification unless training is to be conducted or inexperienced members (e.g. Ocean Divers) are in attendance. DO may sanction all Advanced Divers (and above) in club to organise and run branch dives to unknown locations without notification unless training is to be conducted or inexperienced members are in attendance.
	If the dive is conducted without DO approval, the DO is not responsible for the dive but is still responsible for the conduct of branch training and previously awarded qualifications.	To comply with 'Safe Diving'. Deliberate contravention may result in the DO taking action to protect BSAC members and other divers. Warning: the dive manager, the most experienced diver and/or the member may be held responsible for any adverse consequences of the dive.	A BSAC member diving on holiday. A BSAC member diving on a shuttle boat. A BSAC diver attending a BSAC course (and therefore not requiring the approval of the branch DO).
Diving outside current 'Safe Diving'.	A DO must not permit or sanction plans to dive outside current 'Safe Diving' and they should warn the members accordingly. Although they are not accountable for the dive, the DO would still be accountable for previous BSAC training and qualifications awarded.	Member is not able to dispense with legal responsibility of “duty of care”. Members must recognise that the further away they stray from recommended guidelines ('Safe Diving'.), they expose themselves to a greater risk of incidents and a greater risk of litigation. To be aware that 'Safe Diving' is designed to minimise risk and maximise safety of the diver and others. Deliberate contravention may result in the DO taking action to protect BSAC members and other divers. Note: disclaimers accepting personal responsibility or absolving others of responsibility for personal injury or death have no validity in UK law. It is not possible to avoid responsibility for negligence through disclaimers.	A diver exceeding the depth to which they are qualified to dive. Solo diving.

FAQ

It states in the above Diving Officer (DO) and diving member responsibilities: "If the dive is conducted without DO approval, the DO is not responsible for the dive but is still responsible for the conduct of branch training and previously awarded qualifications". How can a DO be responsible for qualifications awarded by a previous DO?
There are two things here: the AWARD (or delivery) of a qualification and MAINTAINING the level of that qualification during current diving and training.

Diving Officers are not responsible for the DELIVERY or AWARD of previously awarded qualifications by other DOs. However, by accepting the position of DO they are accepting responsibility for the conduct of training and diving within and by members of their branch.

Their responsibility is in ensuring that their divers MAINTAIN the standard of the qualification in their diving. If the DO believes that previous training or qualifications are flawed in any way, or that skills have deteriorated since the award then they have a duty of care to address this

For example, a qualified Dive Leader (DL) returns to the branch after 7 years absence from diving. Rather than put the DL straight in with an inexperienced diver, it would be wise (and comply with a duty of care) for the DO to first explore whether that diver’s skills or knowledge are up to date and suitable for the conduct of a dive at that level. This can be done by measuring the DLs skills against those benchmark standards currently recommended in the BSAC Diver Training Program and 'Safe Diving'. If not, the DO (or another branch instructor) could work with the DL to ensure that this was rectified.

A diving qualification is awarded, based on BSAC benchmark standards but then that level must be maintained by the diver to ensure safe diving within that qualification. The current DOs responsibility is to ensure that this correct level is maintained during current diving (and training) activities.

It is the responsibility of the DO to ensure that all branch divers maintain their level of qualification and dive within those limits. One way to ensure key skills are kept up to date (e.g. rescue skills) is to encourage the practice of these skills annually. This can be made into a fun pool session whilst still maintaining standards within the branch.