Health and safety guidance and resources for businesses offering recreational water activities including diving and snorkelling.
Diving and snorkelling
CampaignsAll campaigns
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Sharksmart
Sharks live in Queensland waters. There are things you can do to minimise your risk of a negative encounter with a shark.
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Safe Work Month 2020
In October 2020 we delivered a program of virtual events, tools and resources focusing on work health and safety and return to work.
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Ambassadors
Queensland Safety Ambassador Shane shares the impact of his father's death and importance of staying safe at work and strong safety culture.
NewsAll news
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VALE - Mr Ian Brusasco AO
WorkCover Queensland is saddened to hear the news of the passing of Mr Ian Brusasco AO, former chair at WorkCover Queensland from 1998 to 20...
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Court backs electrical regulator decision on unlicensed operator
Action taken by the Queensland Government against a rogue operator accused of performing unlicensed electrical work has been supported in co...
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Gold Coast jumping castle business fined $50,000 after two workers suffered serious burns
At a recent hearing in the Southport Magistrates Court, a Gold Coast jumping castle business was fined $50,000 for failing to comply with it...
EventsAll events
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Webinar: What is the duty of an employer to prevent bullying and harassment? Lessons from recent (and not so recent) cases
Register now for our next legal webinar where we will discuss what the court considers an employer’s duty of care to be in this regard.
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Musculoskeletal Disorders Symposium
The 2021 national symposium will be a digital event.
Alerts
All alerts
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Incident alert
Snorkelling fatalityIn October 2020, a woman was on a guided snorkel tour when she apparently panicked and needed to be taken back to the main vessel. However, on the rescue tender...
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Workplace health and safety alert
Fall-arrest systems for continuous vertical ladders on tower cranesThe purpose of this safety alert is to highlight that specific fall-arrest systems are required if a continuous vertical ladder is in place for accessing the to...
HazardsAll hazards
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Diving and snorkelling
This section includes information on specific hazards and risks in the diving and snorkelling industry.
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Lyngbya
Exposure to Lyngbya majuscula (lyngbya), a naturally occurring, toxic, blue-green algae, can cause severe irritation to the eyes, skin, resp...
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Carcinogens
Some hazardous chemicals, called carcinogens, may cause cancer. Carcinogens can be found in a variety of industries including manufacturing,...
Codes of practiceAll codes of practice
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Occupational diving work code of practice 2005
This code of practice gives practical advice on managing risks when conducting occupational diving work.
Commencement date: 1 May 2005 -
Recreational diving, recreational technical diving and snorkelling code of practice 2018
This code of practice provides practical advice on how to manage risks in recreational diving and recreational snorkelling.
Commencement date: 8 February 2018 -
Recreational diving, recreational technical diving and snorkelling code of practice 2018 - comparative table
Comparative table from the Recreational diving, recreational technical diving and snorkelling code of practice 2018.
Commencement date: 8 February 2018
Services
All services
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Check insurance cover
Check to see if an employer has a current accident insurance policy.
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Wage payments calculator
This online wage payment calculator helps work out weekly compensation rates.
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Hazardous chemical notifications
Make a hazardous chemical notification to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
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Electrical licence holder search
You can check the status of electrical contractor licence numbers through our online Electrical Licence Search.
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Electrical contractor self-audit
This self-audit is designed to help you better understand and meet your key electrical safety obligations.
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High risk work online register
An online register of high risk work licencees.
Guides
All guides
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Plan your dive, dive your plan
Certified divers have an obligation to dive safely and responsibly and to comply with the instructions provided during the dive briefing.
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Advice regarding assessing the medical fitness of entry level certificate divers
A document outlining 2011 updates in advice regarding assessing the medicalfitness of entry level certificate divers.
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Managing risks at publicly accessible pools
Information guide for owners, operators and controllers of public swimming pools.
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Safety information for divers and snorkellers in German (auf Deutsch)
Safety information for divers and snorkellers in English and non-English speaking languages. Includes medical declaration form for snorkelling; snorkelling and...
Tools
All tools
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Diving - written record made of count of all persons on board for vessels NOT transferring persons
Dive industry: written record made of count of all persons on board for vessels not transferring persons.
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Dive safety log
Dive safety log form
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Dive plan for diving work
Dive plans set out the way diving will be carried out to ensure the participant’s health and safety. The dive plan should assist with the implementation of cont...
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Example of diver’s safety log for diving work using air
Use these sample logs to record dive information.
VideosAll videos
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Effective lookouts
A lookout on duty should do nothing other than monitor divers and snorkelers to have the best chance of to spot someone in difficulty and in...
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Supervising resort divers
In nearly all fatal resort dive incidents, the introductory diver was separated from their supervising dive instructor. Dive instructors sho...
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Managing the risk of cardiac death
Identifying at risk recreational divers and snorkelers before they enter the water may help prevent a cardiac-related issue. Additional care...
Case studiesAll case studies
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Losing breath - The Adam Sager story
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland's latest film, losing breath tells the tragic story of Adam Sager who died from mesothelioma (an asbe...
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Employers need to consider the health and safety of those at work outside of normal hours
In the recent judgement of Walker v Greenmountain Food Processing Pty Ltd [2020] QSC 329, the Supreme Court of Queensland found an employer ...
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The home: another place of employment where workplace injuries can occur
Working from home creates an additional place of employment in which the employer must take steps to do what is reasonably practicable to en...
Forms
All forms
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Safety Information for divers and snorkellers
Includes a medical declaration for snorkelling
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Example of a certificated diver assessment form
Use this form when assessing a scuba diver
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Form 26 - Medical declaration for resort diving
For use by diver
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Medical declaration for entry-level certificate divers
This is a declaration in which you are informed of some potential risks involved in scuba diving and of the conduct required of you during the entry-level recre...
Podcasts
All podcasts
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Workplace design for better health, safety, wellness and productivity at NOJA Power - a case study
Presented by Jay Manne and Rabiul Alam (NOJA Power).
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Providing a psychologically safe and positive workplace culture
Creating a psychologically safe workplace to improve health outcomes and reduce absenteeism and compensation claims.