Underwater construction is one of the most challenging and high-risk areas of engineering and construction. Whether it’s building underwater pipelines, creating offshore wind farms, constructing marine structures like bridges and tunnels, or performing maintenance on submerged infrastructure, the dangers workers face are significant. For this reason, maintaining safety standards is paramount to ensure that workers stay safe while performing their duties in extreme underwater environments.
In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for protecting workers in underwater construction, highlighting essential safety protocols, technologies, and strategies used to minimize risks.
1. Pre-Construction Planning: Risk Assessments and Safety Protocols
Before any underwater construction project begins, it is crucial to conduct thorough risk assessments. These assessments identify potential hazards, outline safety measures, and determine the resources required to ensure a safe work environment. During this planning stage, engineers and safety professionals should evaluate:
- Water depth and pressure: Determine the depth at which the construction will take place and understand the impact of pressure and water conditions.
- Current and weather conditions: Factor in local environmental conditions, including tides, currents, and visibility, which can change rapidly and affect worker safety.
- Potential for underwater hazards: Assess the risk of marine life interference, the presence of underwater rocks or other debris, and other environmental challenges.
- Worker competencies and qualifications: Ensure all personnel are adequately trained and certified for specific underwater tasks, such as diving, operating equipment, and working in confined spaces.
Having clear safety protocols in place that are regularly reviewed and updated is essential for reducing risks and ensuring compliance with regulations.
2. Use of Specialized Protective Gear
Safety gear is critical in underwater construction to protect workers from drowning, pressure-related injuries, hypothermia, and other risks. Depending on the specific tasks and the environment, workers may need various types of protective equipment, including:
- Diving suits: Workers often wear dry suits or wet suits designed to keep them insulated and protected from the cold, particularly in deep-sea or colder waters. These suits also serve as a barrier against potential contaminants and marine life.
- Helmets and communication systems: For divers, helmets with built-in communication systems allow workers to stay in constant contact with surface personnel. This is vital for coordination, emergency response, and guidance while working at depth.
- Personal flotation devices (PFDs): These devices are essential to ensure workers stay afloat in the event of an emergency or equipment failure.
- Respiratory protection: Whether using surface-supplied air or diving tanks, divers require reliable breathing equipment to avoid drowning and gas exposure in underwater environments.
- Pressure suits and hydraulic systems: For workers in deep-sea environments, specially designed pressure suits and hydraulic systems are needed to counteract the extreme pressures encountered at greater depths.
Proper training in how to use and maintain this equipment is equally as important as the gear itself.
3. Diving Safety: Training and Certification
Diving is a core aspect of many underwater construction projects, and ensuring diver safety is non-negotiable. Divers need to be fully trained, certified, and familiar with the specific risks associated with underwater work. This includes:
- Certified Diving Courses: Divers should complete recognized courses such as the Commercial Diving Certification, which includes training on diving operations, underwater welding, cutting, and other construction tasks.
- Decompression Procedures: Divers must understand decompression practices to prevent decompression sickness (the bends), which occurs when ascending too quickly and causes nitrogen bubbles to form in the body.
- Work-to-Rest Ratios: To reduce the risk of fatigue and allow divers to recover during their shifts, strict guidelines are followed regarding work-to-rest ratios, ensuring proper breaks are taken to allow for decompression and physical recovery.
- Dive Teams and Supervision: A dive team, including support personnel on the surface, should oversee every dive. Support personnel are responsible for monitoring the diver’s condition and providing assistance in case of an emergency.
Additionally, dive supervisors should always be on hand to ensure divers are working within safe operational parameters and following emergency procedures when necessary.
4. Surface and Remote-Controlled Equipment: Operation and Maintenance
In modern underwater construction, surface-supplied air systems and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have transformed the way underwater tasks are performed, reducing the need for human divers in certain high-risk environments.
Surface-Supplied Systems: These systems supply divers with breathable air from the surface through a hose, eliminating the need for heavy tanks and giving divers more flexibility underwater. The surface team can control air supply, monitor diver health, and ensure continuous communication.
ROVs and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs): ROVs and AUVs are used for tasks such as inspecting, surveying, and performing light construction work in environments that would be too dangerous for humans to enter. For example, an ROV may be deployed to assess the condition of underwater pipelines or assist with deep-sea research. Since ROVs are controlled remotely, they help mitigate risks such as decompression sickness or drowning.
Regardless of the technology in use, all equipment must be maintained and operated by trained professionals. Equipment failure can pose serious risks to workers, so regular maintenance and testing are essential for operational safety.
5. Emergency Response and Rescue Plans
Despite meticulous safety measures, underwater construction projects may still face unforeseen emergencies. That’s why having an effective emergency response plan is critical. Plans should be developed with input from diving supervisors, safety personnel, and rescue teams, and they should include:
- Evacuation procedures: If a worker is in danger, quick evacuation from the water is essential. Helicopters, boats, and emergency chambers may be used, depending on the nature and location of the emergency.
- Rescue training: Workers should be trained in underwater rescue procedures, including how to perform CPR, assist injured colleagues, or use rescue equipment such as lift bags or retrieval devices.
- Decompression chambers: A hyperbaric chamber should be available on-site for emergency decompression in case a diver suffers from decompression sickness. It is critical that divers undergo the proper treatment within the time window to avoid long-term health issues.
- On-site medical personnel: Having medical personnel on-site ensures immediate attention in the event of an emergency. They can provide first aid, assess injuries, and manage evacuation until a full medical team arrives.
Clear communication between all personnel is key to ensuring a swift, coordinated response in the event of a crisis.
6. Environmental Considerations
Underwater construction projects often involve working in environmentally sensitive areas, which requires extra precautions to prevent harm to marine ecosystems. Protecting the environment is not only a safety issue for marine life but can also impact worker safety, as pollutants and hazards can affect working conditions. Environmental best practices include:
- Monitoring marine life: Construction teams should be aware of local wildlife populations and the need to prevent damage to sensitive ecosystems.
- Preventing contamination: Steps must be taken to prevent oil, fuel, or chemicals from leaking into the water, which could pose health risks to workers and disrupt marine ecosystems.
- Sustainable construction materials: Whenever possible, sustainable materials should be used to minimize the long-term impact on the underwater environment.
Conclusion
Underwater construction is inherently dangerous, but with the right safety measures, best practices, and technologies in place, it is possible to protect workers while completing complex and vital projects. By combining proper training, innovative equipment, safety protocols, and emergency response plans, construction teams can significantly reduce the risks associated with working below the waves and ensure successful, safe operations.