All contractors carrying out diving operations are required by Regulation 21 to prepare standard diving Operations Manuals and procedures covering their operations and reasonably foreseeable contingencies and emergencies. If the specific task they are undertaking is not standard then they should prepare specific written procedures for that work in the Diving Project Plan.

The Operations Manual should cover all relevant aspects in this Codes as well as any additional aspects identified in the company's standard Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA).

The Operations Manual shall be prepared in consultation with the employees and contain all relevant elements addressed in the Regulations and in this Code. The manual shall be made available to each diving team at the diving location before the commencement of each diving operation, and shall be accessible to members of the diving teams as appropriate so that they may become adequately familiar with those sections which apply to them.