Divers usually compete for limited jobs but the disappearance of their colleague, Chevonne Bartholemew, has brought the diving fraternity and they are calling for an end to commercial scuba air diving in T&T.
In an interview yesterday, president of the Divers Association of T&T Rupert Paul said this form of air diving posed serious risks.
He said if Bartholemew had a helmet and hose, he would not have gone missing.
Paul said the Association will meet with the T&T Bureau of Standards on February 15, to discuss the proposed ban.
Demanding legislative changes to protect divers, the Association said companies operating within the oil and gas sector must be regulated.
He said stipulations should be made to outfit divers with helmets and hose rather than scuba gear when doing commercial air diving jobs.
Paul said this method was not safe for commercial divers as they have no lifeline or surface communication. He said scuba diving is more cost-effective.
“We think scuba should only be used for recreational purposes or for the filming of documentaries but as far as shipping jobs are concerned, it should be stopped,” Paul said.
Association member Antonio O’Connor said scuba divers have no form of communication unless you are using signals or have some contact with someone on the surface.
“Once it is commercial diving you should not be doing scuba. This has been outlawed in England and America. With scuba, you don’t have a continuous flow of air and you work with a limited time and depth,” O’Connor said.
He noted that divers are underpaid for high-risk jobs.
He said companies must have a qualified supervisor on the job, a proper safety profile of the job and a proper contingency plan.
The area where Bartholemew disappeared had over 100 feet of water, O’Connor said.
He said Trinidad had about 130 divers who competed to get jobs but the disappearance of Bartholemew had forced many to take stock of potential risks.
