ORGANIZE AND SCHEDULE OPERATIONS

CHAPTER 6 — Operational Planning Change A 6-39 6-10.4 Recompression Chamber Requirements. 1. An on-station recompression chamber is defined as a certified and ready chamber on the dive site. 2. A recompression chamber shall be on station for all planned decompression dives or dives deeper than 100 fsw. 3. Civilian divers shall remain at the location of a manned recompression cham- ber for 1 hour after surfacing from a dive that requires a recompression chamber on station. 6-11 ORGANIZE AND SCHEDULE OPERATIONS 6-11.1 Task Planning and Scheduling. All phases of an operation are important. A common failure when planning an operation is to place excessive emphasis on the actual dive phases, while not fully considering predive and postdive activities. Another failure is to treat operations of a recurring nature with an indifference to safety that comes with overfamiliarity. In developing a detailed task-by-task schedule for an operation, the following points shall be considered. The schedule shall allocate sufficient time for preparation, transit to the site, rendezvous with other vessels or units, and establishing a secure mooring. Bottom time is always at a premium, and all factors that shall affect bottom time shall be carefully considered. These include depth, decompression, num- ber of divers available, support craft size, and surface and underwater environmental conditions. The number and profile of repetitive dives in a given time period are limited. This subject is discussed in Chapter 10. Plans may include the option to work night and day; however, there is an increased risk of a diving mishap from fatigue. The level of personnel support depends on the diving techniques selected (see Minimum Manning Levels, Figure 6-16). In planning tasks, non-diving topside support personnel shall be selected care- fully, especially those who are not members of the diving team. Any schedule must be flexible to accommodate unexpected complications, delays, and changing conditions. The Diving Supervisor shall anticipate difficulties and be prepared to either overcome them or find alternative methods to circumvent them. If divers have been inactive and operating conditions permit, work-up dives should be conducted in-water or in the recompression chamber.