A number of specialized terms are used in this document. These terms are referenced or defined below to ensure that readers understand what is meant by them in this document:

"the Act"

means, unless the context indicates otherwise, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993;

"the Regulations"

means, unless the context indicates otherwise, the Diving Regulations, 2009;

"the Code", or "this Code"

means, unless the context indicates otherwise, the Code of Practice for Inshore Diving, i.e. this document.

Any word used in this Code of Practice that is defined in the Act or the Regulations shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Act or the Regulations. The definitions provided in the Act are used whenever conflict exists between these two texts.

These definitions do not necessarily apply in other codes of practice. Section refers to this Code, Regulation refers to the Diving Regulations 2009.

Acceptable risk: A level of risk as indicated by a properly performed HIRA, which is acceptable in terms of the requirements and conditions set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations, and is as low as is reasonably practicable. When deciding whether a risk is acceptable or not, consideration should be given to precedent, severity of possible consequences and legal liability.

Alpha flag - International Code Flag Alpha

Bailout set or bailout system (Emergency Gas Supply) See section 5.2.1.3

Bottom time - The elapsed time from when the diver starts descent from the surface to the time when the diver starts final ascent from the working dive, unless otherwise defined by the decompression schedule in use.

Buddy line -See section 5.4.3

Client - See section 3.1, and Regulation 3

Decompression stop - An interruption of the ascent towards the surface for purposes of allowing dissolved gases to be eliminated from the diver without producing symptoms of decompression sickness.

Diving Contractor - Regulation 4

Diving mode - System of diving equipment type and associated standard operating procedures. See section 4.1.4

Diving Operation - Regulation 1

Diving Project - Regulation 1

Diving Project Plan - Regulation 5

Hazard -See section 4.1.3.6.1

HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) -See section 4.1.2.1

Life line -See section 5.4.1

MOD (Maximum Operating Depth) - The depth at which the oxygen partial pressure of a breathing gas reaches the maximum accepted value. The maximum acceptable oxygen partial pressure will depend on the mode of diving and should be specified in the Operations Manual.

Operations Manual - Regulation 21

Reasonably practicable - has the range of meaning defined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act

Shot line - See section 5.4.2

Stand-by diver - See sections 4.2.2, 5.2.1.2, 5.3, 8.1.1.5, 8,2, 8.4, 4.1.4.2, 10.7.4

SSDE (Surface-Supplied Diving Equipment) - See section 0

Toolbox talk - An informal group discussion that focuses on a particular safety issue, also intended to facilitate health and safety discussions on the work site.

Umbilical - See section 5.2.1.2