Category Archives: COVID 19

Coronavirus controls for recreational scuba instruction

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The COVID 19 lockdowns during 2020 have made 2021 a very important year for diving businesses to recover revenue, fulfil postponed demand for diver training and build resilience to face possible disruption in the future. During the period of covid controls and social distancing, many dive schools were diligent in implementing measures and this certainly helped diving recover.

Although formal covid control measures may have been removed, it is still possible to contract covid and suffer varying severity of infection. It is also possible to carry and spread covid after vaccination. The new omicron variant is now spreading, with headlines about rapid infection rates. 

This creates a need for diving professionals to continue some precautions against covid infection among their teams or customers. Either could cause personal consequences or further disruption to businesses hoping to maximise the end of the 2021 dive season or the start of 2022.

Continuing to guard against covid impact during recreational diving instruction also helps representative bodies (such as APSTO) present an evidence-based case for diving to continue in any future waves, or periods of pandemic restriction. This case for exemption from closure is also strengthened by acknowledged mental health benefits, widespread vaccination and boosters, diving being a mainly outside activity and the now well-documented absence of transmission in well run, covid-aware outdoor diving operations. APSTO is intending to present this case should lockdowns be discussed – backup in the form of visible good practice from dive schools will help greatly.

Previously APSTO has simply emphasised the clear-cut government advice. The situation is now different, with the clear advice having been replaced by individual responsibility for companies and individuals to choose their own covid controls. 

Assessment of risks in diving operations, including surface infection risks, is the responsibility of each diving business. However, since the original lockdown, there are now more tools available for dive schools to use in their risk assessment, meaning that measures can be proportionate, targeted and responsive to changing circumstances.APSTO has been discussing the usefulness of various measures to assist dive schools in formulating their own risk assessments and measures to ensure both staff and student safety, plus minimising impacts on diving businesses.

The full advice document can be accessed from this link.

Thank you and best seasonal wishes,

APSTO

UK Diving Reopening

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The UK government published information on 22nd February 2021 outlining its roadmap out of lockdown.

If this goes according to plan, on 29th March, outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts, will be allowed to reopen, and people can take part in formally organised outdoor sports. (Para 102 of the government guidance).

Diving professionals running diver training activities can consider themselves to fall under the category of “formally organised outdoor sports”, and in this sense, they are a business activity. 

Based on previously issued government guidance, adults can take part in outdoor organised sport and licensed physical outdoor activity in groups of more than six, provided it is organised by a national governing body, club, registered instructor/coach, business or charity; and/or involve someone who has received an official license to use equipment relevant to the activity. In all cases, the organiser must conduct a risk assessment and ensure compliance with COVID-19 Secure guidance or risk getting a fine. 

More detailed advice concerning organised diving events has been produced by the National Governing Body.

Organising the first dives of the season

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Advice to diving pros

At some point, UK diving will open up properly again, but there are things you need to prepare before then, and you should start on some of them now.
  1. Ensure you and your staff follow the personal preparation steps outlined on the BDSG website.
  2. Conduct a risk assessment, allowing for the fact that divers may have had a long layoff since their last dive
  3. Use the 2020 Medical for screening divers undergoing training/supervision (replaced the previous RSTC Medical). The 2020 Medical questions will detect clients who may have contracted COVID-19. In case doctor appointments may be necessary, try to do this well in advance.
  4. In case you or your staff need to renew your HSE Medicals, allow plenty of time to arrange this.
  5. Check your insurance is valid and your teaching status is valid; read any training advice issued by your training agency since you last ran a course.
  6. Ensure your Emergency Action Plans are up to date.
  7. Check your staff’s first aid training certifications are still valid.
  8. Check your oxygen kit is usable and the personnel trained to operate it are current.
  9. Consider arranging a training or refresher session for your staff before you arrange the first dive with clients.
  10. Be conservative in your initial water sessions; don’t try to do too much.

COVID-19 Restrictions

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APSTO Advisory: Interpretation of the latest government restrictions regarding the national lockdown

The government has recently published information about the national lockdown. 

At present, there are virtually no scenarios whereby a diving instructor can abide by both the HSE Diving at Work 1997 Regulations (DWR) and the current COVID-19 Restrictions.

Therefore, APSTO advise that as a general principle, the training of divers according to HSE DWR cannot take place at this time.

APSTO is reviewing the situation on a constant basis and will provide further advice as the situation evolves.

COVID-19 Restrictions

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23 December 2020

APSTO Advisory: Interpretation of the latest government restrictions for England for Tier 4

The most recent government advice for England includes information about the new Tier 4 restrictions, and they can be viewed in full here. (See separate guidance for Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland).

The restrictions include several specific points that must be adhered to that have a direct impact on diving professionals including:

  • If you live in a Tier 4 area, you must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (e.g. for work or education purposes).
  • You must stay at home and not leave your Tier 4 area, other than for legally permitted reasons.
  • Indoor gyms and sports facilities will close. Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges, riding centres and playgrounds can remain open for individual exercise, and for people to use with others within your household, support bubble, or with one person from another household.
  • Leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and indoor gyms, indoor swimming pools, indoor sports courts, indoor fitness and dance studios, indoor riding centres, and indoor climbing walls must close.
  • Outdoor recreation or exercise is permitted. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your Tier 4 area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space).

APSTO will continue to monitor the advice being provided by the government and will update our advisories as required.

COVID-19 Restrictions

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16 December 2020

APSTO Advisory: Interpretation of the latest government restrictions for England

This advisory includes a further amendment to the advice in the advisory dated 11 December 2020 concerning the use of swimming pools in Tier 3 regions.

APSTO supports a return to diving and to assist diving businesses with interpreting the rules to achieve safe diving education. Our interpretation of the current guidelines is as follows:

Diving instructors are at work and therefore able to travel. Diving students may find themselves limited by the location and home tier level. Travel from a tier 3 to tier 2 area for diving education is riskier than from a tier 2 to tier 2. It is hard to classify diving education as essential. APSTO recognises that travel by students from tier 3 to tier 2 should be avoided.

Travel by instructors from tier 2 to tier 3 should be avoided. Note that training and diving inside a tier 3 is also acceptable.

All briefings and education should be socially distanced at 2m. Any surface work prior to water entry wearing scuba requiring closer proximity than 2m should be controlled by wearing face masks at all times.

The use of swimming pools for teaching scuba is acceptable in tiers 1 and 2 (although subject to any additional measures individual leisure centres or swimming pools choose to implement). Government guidance currently includes a statement that group activities cannot be conducted indoors in tier 3 areas (with some exemptions). We advise you to follow your local authority’s/swimming pool’s policy in this respect, but if in any doubt, we advise that teaching recreational diving classes in swimming pools in tier 3 areas should suspended.

Diving instructors should refer to the guidance given by their training organisation for specific COVID-19 teaching practises, with risk assessment undertaken to ensure control of the training process. Please refer to your training organisation for further details if required.

COVID-19 Restrictions

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11 December 2020

APSTO Advisory: Interpretation of the latest government restrictions for England

This advisory includes amended advice from the advisory dated 27 November 2020 concerning the use of swimming pools in Tier 3 regions .

APSTO supports a return to diving and to assist diving businesses with interpreting the rules to achieve safe diving education. Our interpretation of the current guidelines is as follows:

Diving instructors are at work and therefore able to travel. Diving students may find themselves limited by the location and home tier level. Travel from a tier 3 to tier 2 area for diving education is riskier than from a tier 2 to tier 2. It is hard to classify diving education as essential. APSTO recognises that travel by students from tier 3 to tier 2 should be avoided.

Travel by instructors from tier 2 to tier 3 should be avoided. Note that training and diving inside a tier 3 is also acceptable.

All briefings and education should be socially distanced at 2m. Any surface work prior to water entry wearing scuba requiring closer proximity than 2m should be controlled by wearing face masks at all times.

The use of swimming pools for teaching scuba is acceptable in tiers 1 and 2 (although subject to any additional measures individual leisure centres or swimming pools choose to implement). Government guidance currently includes a statement that group activities cannot be conducted indoors in tier 3 areas (with some exemptions). Whilst this is in place, we advise that teaching recreational diving classes in swimming pools in tier 3 areas should suspended. Professional level training, which is classified differently, may proceed at this time.

Diving instructors should refer to the guidance given by their training organisation for specific COVID-19 teaching practises, with risk assessment undertaken to ensure control of the training process. Please refer to your training organisation for further details if required.

COVID 19 Restrictions

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27 November 2020

APSTO Advisory: Interpretation of the latest government restrictions for England

APSTO supports a return to diving and to assist diving businesses with interpreting the rules to achieve safe diving education. Our interpretation of the current guidelines is as follows:

Diving instructors are at work and therefore able to travel. Diving students may find themselves limited by the location and home tier level. Travel from a tier 3 to tier 2 area for diving education is riskier than from a tier 2 to tier 2. It is hard to classify diving education as essential. APSTO recognises that travel by students from tier 3 to tier 2 should be avoided.

Travel by instructors from tier 2 to tier 3 should be avoided. Note that training and diving inside a tier 3 is also acceptable.

All briefings and education should be socially distanced at 2m. Any surface work prior to water entry wearing scuba requiring closer proximity than 2m should be controlled by wearing face masks at all times.

The use of swimming pools for teaching scuba is acceptable in all tiers (although subject to any additional measures individual leisure centres or swimming pools choose to implement).

Diving instructors should refer to the guidance given by their training organisation for specific COVID-19 teaching practises, with risk assessment undertaken to ensure control of the training process. Please refer to your training organisation for further details if required.