Stop-work order, $13,000 in fines among penalties for flouting commercial diving safety rules: MOM

SINGAPORE – A total of 65 penalties were imposed on a dozen commercial diving companies and seven individuals after the authorities found them violating safety regulations.

The penalties included a stop-work order for a diving supervisor, as well as $13,000 in fines for the 19 companies and individuals.

The violations were discovered during an enforcement operation by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, conducted from September to December 2024.

In a Facebook post on Feb 6, MOM said that the operation was meant to ensure compliance with the code of practice for diving at work.

Stressing that commercial diving contractors should abide by the code of practice, the ministry said that they should ensure safety measures are put in place and adhered to.

“MOM will continue to conduct the necessary checks and will not hesitate to take action against companies and individuals who flout the rules,” the post added.

It highlighted two deaths at Singapore anchorages involving commercial divers who had used self-contained underwater breathing apparatus meant for recreational scuba, instead of the mandatory commercial surface-supplied diving equipment (SSDE).

Such recreational diving equipment comes with only one air tank and has no communication system or lifeline, unlike the professional equipment.

SSDE, which includes enhanced safety features, such as the provision of continuous air supply from the surface, is specifically designed for commercial diving work, said MOM in its post.

On June 18, 2024, a

22-year-old Malaysian diver

died after he got entangled with a boat propeller while cleaning a ship’s hull at an anchorage off East Coast. He was employed by Dive-Marine Services.

On Feb 17 in the same year, a

59-year-old Singaporean commercial diver

died after he failed to surface while cleaning a ship’s hull at an anchorage off East Coast. He was a freelance diver hired by maritime services company Alphard Offshore.