1910.422: Procedures During a Dive
Employers must follow set procedures during each commercial dive. They must provide ways to enter and exit the water and to help an injured diver out, keep working two-way voice communication and emergency communication, keep decompression tables and a depth-time profile for each diver, and control hand-held power tools and welding or burning equipment.
Key takeaways
- 1910.422 is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart T).
- OSHA cited it 5 times in the last 3 years, in 4 inspections, with $39,427 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most-cited part: 1910.422(b) Water entry and exit (2 citations).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.422, "Procedures during dive", is an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart T). It has 32 numbered paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
Show the full text of 1910.422 (32 paragraphs)
(a) General. The employer shall comply with the following requirements which are applicable to each diving operation unless otherwise specified.
(b) Water entry and exit. Open (b) 2 citations
(1) A means capable of supporting the diver shall be provided for entering and exiting the water. 1 citations
(2) The means provided for exiting the water shall extend below the water surface.
(3) A means shall be provided to assist an injured diver from the water or into a bell. Open (b)(3) 1 citations
(c) Communications. 3 citations
(1) An operational two-way voice communication system shall be used between: 2 citations
(i) Each surface-supplied air or mixed-gas diver and a dive team member at the dive location or bell (when provided or required); and 2 citations
(ii) The bell and the dive location.
(2) An operational, two-way communication system shall be available at the dive location to obtain emergency assistance. 1 citations
(d) Decompression tables. Decompression, repetitive, and no-decompression tables (as appropriate) shall be at the dive location.
(e) Dive profiles. A depth-time profile, including when appropriate any breathing gas changes, shall be maintained for each diver during the dive including decompression.
(f) Hand-held power tools and equipment.
(1) Hand-held electrical tools and equipment shall be de-energized before being placed into or retrieved from the water.
(2) Hand-held power tools shall not be supplied with power from the dive location until requested by the diver.
(g) Welding and burning.
(1) A current supply switch to interrupt the current flow to the welding or burning electrode shall be:
(i) Tended by a dive team member in voice communication with the diver performing the welding or burning; and
(ii) Kept in the open position except when the diver is welding or burning.
(2) The welding machine frame shall be grounded.
(3) Welding and burning cables, electrode holders, and connections shall be capable of carrying the maximum current required by the work, and shall be properly insulated.
(4) Insulated gloves shall be provided to divers performing welding and burning operations.
(5) Prior to welding or burning on closed compartments, structures or pipes, which contain a flammable vapor or in which a flammable vapor may be generated by the work, they shall be vented, flooded, or purged with a mixture of gases which will not support combustion.
(h) Explosives.
(1) Employers shall transport, store, and use explosives in accordance with this section and the applicable provisions of §§ 1910.109 and 1926.912 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(2) Electrical continuity of explosive circuits shall not be tested until the diver is out of the water.
(3) Explosives shall not be detonated while the diver is in the water.
(i) Termination of dive. The working interval of a dive shall be terminated when:
(1) A diver requests termination;
(2) A diver fails to respond correctly to communications or signals from a dive team member;
(3) Communications are lost and can not be quickly re-established between the diver and a dive team member at the dive location, and between the designated person-in-charge and the person controlling the vessel in liveboating operations; or
(4) A diver begins to use diver-carried reserve breathing gas or the dive-location reserve breathing gas.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.
Injuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.422.
On March 23, 2024, an employee was utilizing surface supplied air diving equipment to clean sediment from the inside of an enclosed standpipe water tank with a 24-foot water depth. The estimated water temperature was 53.42 degrees Fahrenheit. Sediment cleaning was performed using a hand-held…
Where and how often it was cited
Free toolbox talk
A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.422, plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
- Minimum number of dive team members required to support scuba diving. (1996-11-22)
- Minimum number of dive team members required to support scuba diving. (1996-02-22)
Most-cited parts of this rule
- 1910.422(b) Water entry and exit 2 citations
- 1910.422(b)(3) 1 citations
Get your crew competent
Trainers on Black Belt Safety: Marc Harvey, Dana Reyes
Trainers and suppliers: feature your business on this rule for $25/month.
Frequently asked questions
What communication is required during a dive?
An operational two-way voice system between each surface-supplied air or mixed-gas diver and a dive team member, and a two-way system at the dive location to get emergency help.
What records are kept during the dive?
A depth-time profile for each diver, including breathing gas changes when appropriate and decompression.
When can a hand-held power tool get power?
Power may not be supplied from the dive location until the diver requests it, and electrical tools must be de-energized before going into or out of the water.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.422 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.