197204
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 7, Parts 166 to 199]
[Revised as of October 1, 1999]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR197.204]
[Page 410-412]
TITLE 46--SHIPPING
CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION--Continued
PART 197--GENERAL PROVISIONS--Table of Contents
Subpart B--Commercial Diving Operations
Sec. 197.204 Definitions.
As used in this subpart:
ACFM means actual cubic feet per minute.
ANSI Code1 means the B31.1 American National Standards Institute
``Code for Pressure Piping, Power Piping.''
ASME Code means the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
``Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.''
ASME PVHO-1 means the ANSI/ASME standard ``Safety Standard for
Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy.''
ATA means a measure of pressure expressed in terms of atmosphere
absolute (includes barometric pressure).
Bell means a compartment either at ambient pressure (open bell) or
pressurized (closed bell) that allows the diver to be transported to and
from the underwater work site, allows the diver access to the
surrounding environment, and is capable of being used as a refuge during
diving operations.
Bottom time means the total elapsed time measured in minutes from
the time the diver leaves the surface in descent to the time to the next
whole minute that the diver begins ascent.
Breathing gas/breathing mixture means the mixed-gas, oxygen, or air
as appropriate supplied to the diver for breathing.
Bursting pressure means the pressure at which a pressure containment
device would fail structurally.
Commercial diver means a diver engaged in underwater work for hire
excluding sport and recreational diving and the instruction thereof.
Commercial diving operation means all activities in support of a
commercial diver.
Cylinder means a pressure vessel for the storage of gases under
pressure.
Decompression chamber means a pressure vessel for human occupancy
such
[[Page 411]]
as a surface decompression chamber, closed bell, or deep diving system
especially equipped to recompress, decompress, and treat divers.
Decompression sickness means a condition caused by the formation of
gas or gas bubbles in the blood or body tissue as a result of pressure
reduction.
Decompression table means a profile or set of profiles of ascent
rates and breathing mixtures designed to reduce the pressure on a diver
safely to atmospheric pressure after the diver has been exposed to a
specific depth and bottom time.
Depth means the maximum pressure expressed in feet of seawater
attained by a diver and is used to express the depth of a dive.
Dive location means that portion of a vessel or facility from which
a diving operation is conducted.
Dive team means the divers and diver support personnel involved in a
diving operation, including the diving supervisor.
Diver means a person working beneath the surface, exposed to
hyperbaric conditions, and using underwater breathing apparatus.
Diver-carried reserve breathing gas means a supply of air or mixed-
gas, as appropriate, carried by the diver in addition to the primary or
secondary breathing gas supplied to the diver.
Diving installation means all of the equipment used in support of a
commercial diving operation.
Diving mode means a type of diving requiring SCUBA, surface-supplied
air, or surface-supplied mixed-gas equipment, with related procedures
and techniques.
Diving stage means a suspended platform constructed to carry one or
more divers and used for putting divers into the water and bringing them
to the surface when in-water decompression or a heavy-weight diving
outfit is used.
Diving supervisor means the person having complete responsibility
for the safety of a commercial diving operation including the
responsibility for the safety and health of all diving personnel in
accordance with this subpart.
Facility means a deepwater port, or an artificial island,
installation, or other device on the Outer Continental Shelf subject to
Coast Guard jurisdiction.
Fsw means feet of seawater (or equivalent static pressure head).
Gas embolism means a condition caused by expanding gases, which have
been taken into and retained in the lungs while breathing under
pressure, being forced into the bloodstream or other tissues during
ascent or decompression.
Heavy-weight diving outfit means diver-worn surface-supplied deep-
sea dress.
Hyperbaric conditions means pressure conditions in excess of surface
atmospheric pressure.
Injurious corrosion means an advanced state of corrosion which may
impair the structural integrity or safe operation of the equipment.
Liveboating means the support of a surfaced-supplied diver from a
vessel underway.
Maximum working pressure means the maximum pressure to which a
pressure containment device can be exposed under operating conditions
(usually the pressure setting of the pressure relief device).
No-decompression limits means the air depth and bottom time limits
of appendix A.
Pressure vessel means a container capable of withstanding an
internal maximum working pressure over 15 psig.
Psi(g) means pounds per square inch (gage).
PVHO means pressure vessel for human occupancy but does not include
pressure vessels for human occupancy that may be subjected to external
pressures in excess of 15 psig but can only be subjected to maximum
internal pressures of 15 psig or less (i.e., submersibles, or one
atmosphere observation bells).
Saturation diving means saturating a diver's tissues with the inert
gas in the breathing mixture to allow an extension of bottom time
without additional decompression.
SCUBA diving means a diving mode in which the diver is supplied with
a compressed breathing mixture from diver carried equipment.
Standby diver means a diver at the dive location available to assist
a diver in the water.
[[Page 412]]
Surface-supplied air diving means a diving mode in which the diver
is supplied from the dive location or bell with compressed breathing air
including oxygen or oxygen enriched air if supplied for treatment.
Surface-supplied mixed-gas diving means a diving mode in which the
diver is supplied from the dive location or bell with a compressed
breathing mixture other than air.
Timekeeping device means a device for measuring the time of a dive
in minutes.
Treatment table means a depth, time, and breathing gas profile
designed to treat a diver for decompression sickness.
Umbilical means the hose bundle between a dive location and a diver
or bell, or between a diver and a bell, that supplies the diver or bell
with a life-line, breathing gas, communications, power, and heat as
appropriate to the diving mode or conditions.
Vessel means any waterborne craft including mobile offshore drilling
units required to have a Certificate of Inspection issued by the Coast
Guard or any waterborne craft connected with a deepwater port or within
the deepwater port safety zone, or any waterborne craft engaged in
activities related to the Outer Continental Shelf.
Volume tank means a pressure vessel connected to the outlet of a
compressor and used as an air reservoir.
Working pressure means the pressure to which a pressure containment
device is exposed at any particular instant during normal operating
conditions.
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