FACTORIES (DIVING AT WORK) REGULATIONS, 2018

Regulations govern safety requirements for diving operations in industrial and commercial work in Nigeria, including offshore and onshore activities. They target offshore diving contractors, oil and gas companies, and industrial diving operators. These aim to prevent accidents by enforcing personnel certification and equipment standards.

What Is This Policy?

Regulations that govern the safety requirements for all diving operations carried out in connection with industrial or commercial work in Nigeria, including offshore and onshore diving.

Who Does It Target?

Offshore diving contractors and diving supervisors Oil and gas companies commissioning underwater work Industrial diving operators in harbours, rivers, and reservoirs Labour inspectors covering offshore and maritime workplaces

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Prevent diving accidents, fatalities, and decompression illness by imposing rigorous planning, personnel certification, and equipment standards for all commercial diving operations.

Key Features

Diving Contractor Approval: Requires diving contractors to be approved by the Ministry of Labour before conducting commercial diving in Nigeria. Diver Certification: All divers must hold valid certification from a recognised diving authority, current medical fitness, and relevant training. Diving Supervisor: Mandates appointment of a certified diving supervisor for every diving operation. Emergency Procedures: Requires pre-dive safety briefings, standby diver procedures, and immediate access to a recompression chamber.

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active Coverage: All commercial diving operations in Nigerian waters and industrial facilities Beneficiaries: Commercial divers; offshore industry workers Funding: Federal Government

How to Access

Diving contractors must apply for approval from the Ministry of Labour Divers must maintain current medical fitness certificates Each diving operation requires a project-specific diving operations plan Application method: Contact the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Factory Inspectorate Division.

Important Terms

Diving without a supervisor is illegal Recompression chamber access is mandatory before dive operations begin All diving incidents must be reported to the Ministry

Official Resources

Website: https://www.labour.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment

Legal Framework

The Factories (Diving at Work) Regulations 2018 are issued under the Factories Act 2004 by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. They operate alongside the Employees Compensation Act 2010, the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 (for offshore diving in petroleum operations), and the Oil Fields (Safety) Regulations. International standards from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Diving Guidelines and the IMO Code on Diving Safety provide technical benchmarks.