Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 MagazineMagazine The official The official magazine of magazine of the Canadian the Canadian Association of Association of Diving ContractorsDiving Contractors CADCCADC Summer 2020Summer 2020 Guidelines For COVID-19 COVID-19 ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT OCCUPATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL DIVING OPERATIONSDIVING OPERATIONS in a INSIDE: Time Capsules of War: The Bell Island Shipwrecks Choosing a Diving Company: What You Need to KnowThe Canadian Association of Diving Contractors 5 ON THE COVER: This issue’s three-part cover story takes an in-depth look at how the novel coronavirus has impacted our industry. Our cover shot features a diver, their eyes locked on the reader, looking ahead to the future as we navigate “the new normal” of working in a COVID-19 environment. Turn to page 14 to read more. PHOTO CREDIT: Maxwel Hohn, DiveSafe International contents UP FRONT 7 A Message from the President of the CADC 8 Notes from the Executive Director of the CADC 9 Why You Should Be a Part of the CADC 11 Become a Member ON THE COVER 14 Diving Operations in a COVID-19 Environment: A Guideline & FAQs 17 The DCBC Responds to COVID-19 20 Staying Healthy: Cleaning & Sanitizing Dive Equipment FEATURE STORIES 23 Time Capsules of War: The Bell Island Shipwrecks - Royal Canadian Navy Clearance Diving Operations Seven Decades Later 26 Occupational Diving: 50 Years of Professional Safety Standards 28 Hiring the Professional Diving Contractor: The Bottom Line CADC MEMBER PROJECT SPOTLIGHT 30 Galcon Marine Ltd.: More Than Just a Diving Contractor IMAGES OF INNOVATION 32 Our Members at Work NEWS 33 CADC Membership Listings 34 Index to Advertisers CADC Magazine Published for: The Canadian Association of Diving Contractors 6382 Coachford Way Mississauga, Ontario L5N 3V8 Doug Elsey, P.Eng., Executive Director Phone: (905) 542-7410 | Fax: (905) 567-6703 delsey@cadc.ca www.cadc.ca Printed by: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 309 Youville Street, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll-free: (866) 999-1299 Toll-free fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net www.matrixgroupinc.net Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers Jessica Potter, Julie Welsh Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Editor Alexandra Kozub akozub@matrixgroupinc.net Editors Jenna Collignon, Kaitlin Vitt Finance/Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager – Winnipeg Neil Gottfred Sales Manager – Hamilton Jeff Cash Sales Team Leader Colleen Bell Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Albert Brydges, Andrew Lee, Bonnie Petrovsky (in memoriam), Brenda McPhee, Brian MacIntyre, Cheryl Klassen, Frank Kenyeres, Jim Hamilton, Jon Beroud, Julie Welsh, Marlyn Beek, Michael Coutu, Rob Gibson, Sandra Kirby, Tanina Di Piazza, Tenisha Myke Advertising Design James Robinson Layout & Design Kayti Taylor ©2020 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Printed in Canada.The Canadian Association of Diving Contractors 7 up front A Message from the President of the CADC Dave Geddes, CADC President In early 2020, the arrival of COVID-19 turned our lives upside down. The unexpected threat—first deemed a low risk to Canadians and of little concern to government officials—grew into an unprecedented pandemic from coast to coast. Borders were shut, physical distancing policies implemented, quarantine and self-isolation recommended, and, in many jurisdictions, legislation was hurriedly put in place. Workplaces were closed and various projects were suspended or cancelled. “Essential services” were identified. Fortunately, many diving contractors across Canada were designated essential and found themselves in uncharted water, protecting workers from this new and potentially deadly virus. Diving companies rose to the challenge, researching and implementing methods to ensure cleanliness and sanitization of diving equipment and encouraging the use of established personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, and face shields) for support crews topside. Diving schools also felt the impact of the virus. Public schools in Canada, like Holland College and Seneca College, were closed, with classes either suspended for the balance of this school year or modifications to allow existing students to join the next class. Schools in the U.S., including DIT in Seattle and CDA in Florida, were forced to close, but, at the time of this writing, are expected to open mid-May. Private schools, like Dive Safe International in Campbell River, BC and the Commercial Diving Institute in Kelowna, BC, turned to online, face-to-face course delivery to keep classes intact until physical distancing and group restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile, Holland College in PEI held weekly Zoom meetings introducing prominent members of the diving community to students for a 30-minute chat. Great idea! The diving community felt the blow of this pandemic; however, the industry has stayed-the-course and worked to continue serving customers in a safe and responsible manner. It’s not whether we’ll overcome this difficult time, but when . Be safe! 8 www.cadc.ca ■ Summer 2020 up front Notes from the Executive Director of the CADC Doug Elsey, P.Eng. CADC Executive Director This issue of CADC Magazine has been a “stop the presses” moment. All planning for the publication—and our lives—ground to a halt with the COVID- 19 pandemic. Articles ready for publishing went to the cutting room floor, held for a future edition. Getting appropriate information to our diving industry was top priority. To this end, we’re providing guidelines for working in a COVID-19 environment. Diving services have been deemed essential in many countries. Among other things, we repair and maintain infrastructure for water supplies to cities and towns, maintain fisheries, and repair and inspect dams, piers, and bridges. We do the same offshore, repairing or maintaining structures for oil and gas. Essentially, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. Divers normally swap helmets and life support gear continuously, working in tight quarters. If you are exposed to and contract the disease, it could cause permanent lung damage, which affects breathing and gas transport and leads to problems in normal diving operations (decompression complications, etc.). Translation: Even if one had it and survived, contracting COVID-19 could be career-ending. This is very serious. This issue addresses the concerns of operating in this environment. At the time of publication (mid-to-late-May), operations are ramping up, as vital infrastructure repairs and maintenance projects begin. Dive companies, some deemed “essential” in many jurisdictions, are working through the pandemic. Others, idle as distancing regulations PHOTO CREDIT: DougElsey.com were enforced, are now returning to a new, uncharted hazard. Namely, possible exposure to, or transmission of, COVID-19. Dive schools are adjusting teaching methods and course content, acknowledging that, for now, operations in a COVID-19 environment is a new normal. On page 14, our lead article answers some of the frequently asked questions and provides guidelines for diving operations in a COVID-19 environment by linking to current information and advice from experts. The pandemic has also impacted the Diver Certification Board of Canada (DCBC) and diving personnel: the inability of divers and supervisors to qualify to renew their certificates; the necessity for dive schools to cease operations until governments allowed them to re-open; cancelling the Canadian Underwater Conference and Exhibition. Flip to page 17 to read how David Parkes, CEO of the DCBC, explains the situation and how it affects you. The health of our divers and support personnel has never been more important. We know “hot-swapping” diving equipment is common and often necessary. We also know that, unless appropriate proactive measures are taken, we run a serious risk of compromising the health of our team and jeopardizing the job. On page 20, Jonathan Chapple, vice-president of Aqua-Lung Canada Ltd., offers guidance collated from various equipment manufacturers for ensuring health risks are reduced and, hopefully, eliminated. In this hazardous world of COVID-19 exposure, it’s critical to recognize employing an underwater contractor who’s ignorant of current safety standards and regulations can expose the employer to serious (and expensive) civil and criminal liability. Bill C-45 of the Criminal Code of Canada states it’s the legal duty of employers and those directing work to take reasonable measures to protect employee and public safety. If this duty is disregarded and bodily harm or death results, an organization could be charged with criminal negligence. Is this a risk you want to take? Learn more in the article by the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors on page 28. On September 5, 1942, the German submarine U-513 rose from the depths of Conception Bay, Newfoundland, near Bell Island. Suddenly, the S.S. Saganaga and S.S. Lord Strathcona were struck by torpedoes, succumbing to the immense damage and sinking to their final resting place. Two months later, a second German submarine, U-518, entered the same anchorage to conduct a second attack. The first shot missed, detonating against the Scotia Pier. Without delay, U-518 fired upon the S.S. Rosecastle , who layed at anchor; the vessel was lost. All ordnance remained on the bottom for seven decades. Now, these steel giants are beginning to submit to the power of the sea, raising concerns for the safety of local divers. On page 23, Master Seaman Barry Macleod, Canadian Armed Forces, explores the national campaign to clear unexploded ordnance from these wrecks. In January 2020, major changes came to the CSA Z275.2 Diving Operations Standard . The most contentious update now focuses on the requirement for a minimum four-person crew on all dive operations, including SCUBA. The crew is to consist of four competent individuals: supervisor, diver, standby diver, and tender. The updates came into effect on January 1, 2020. On page 26, Dave Shanahan of the CSA gives us a 50-year history of the development of our world- recognized Z275 dive standards. Whether it’s heavy marine contracting, diving, salvage and environmental response, design, transportation, project management, or general contracting, CADC member Galcon Marine Ltd. is an industry leader in surface and subsurface marine construction. The profile by Dave Gallagher on page 30 looks at a project Galcon did for the City of Toronto to remove zebra mussels from a pipeline that went into 240 feet of water. We now live and work in a changed environment. Our industry, our profession-of-choice, is about working and surviving in hostile environments— working on, and beneath, the water’s surface. To do that, we learn to adapt, to innovate. It’s what we do. Stay safe! The Canadian Association of Diving Contractors 9 up front Why You Should Be a Part of the CADC Check out our members at www.CADC.CA/members PHOTO CREDIT: Doug Elsey/ www.DougElsey.com “CADC is the glue that binds the occupational diving community across Canada,” says Doug Elsey, Executive Director of the CADC. CADC was formed in 1982 because regulators and government legislators did not and do not want to talk to individuals—they want to talk to organized groups representing the industry. The safety standards that govern your operations today are a result of past CADC members doing their job in “getting it right” so that we have a safe and workable industry today. Safety, according to Elsey, is one of the most important issues in an industry that can be both dangerous and physically demanding. The CADC acts as a unifying body, able to communicate effectively across Canada and beyond. The CADC acts as a watchdog for the industry and keeps a constant eye on regulations and standards. Because of their diligence in monitoring these standards and regulations for commercial diving across Canada, the industry has become a much safer place. As a member, you are adding to the voice that is the CADC, effectively allowing the industry to be heard, especially when it comes to lowering insurance rates. Some of the benefits CADC membership offers are: • Constant communications on jobs coming up that you may be interested in bidding on. This is done weekly or biweekly as we send out tender information across Canada. • Information available on our website (www.CADC.ca) and the CADC-sponsored websites www.UnderwaterINDUSTRY.com and UnderwaterJOB.com. • The JOBS website (www. UnderwaterJOBS.com), where you can post jobs and look for qualified people. • The members’ mail-list server that allows you to instantly contact ALL of the members when you need advice, gear, personnel, etc. • Diving insurances exclusively for CADC members—backed by Lloyd’s Brokers and others who know the diving industry. • Reduced rates on gear from our associate members. • This very magazine, with articles on companies, jobs, safety, etc., to keep you informed. Not everyone can join CADC. Those members who apply have to agree AND demonstrate that they operate in a safe working environment. One cannot join by simply filling in the form—you have to have a demonstrated level of safety and competence in operations to CSA Standards 275.2 (Operations) and CSA 275.4 (Competency). For more information, please check out our website at www.cadc.ca or e-mail: info@cadc.ca. We look forward to hearing from you! Next >