Working Method Statement for Scientific diving: Retrieval of diving lead weights lost by recreational divers in the mesophotic zone of a highly touristic coral reef drop-off near Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt)

This Working Method Statement (WMS) aims to describe the general procedures for the diving operations planned in the framework of the ABSD project mentioned above. This description covers the main points of attention required to ensure that the scientific diving activities necessary to achieve the project's specific objectives are carried out efficiently and safely. The WMS includes:- A description of the scientific tasks and of the associated material to be used;- A description of the working area with all preliminary information available in terms of geography and bathymetry;- A description of the dive platform and the equipment available onboard for communication, navigation, safety and diving logistics;- A presentation of the diving team including their affiliation, their planned mission onboard, their detailed dive experience and their first aid capacities;- A description of the administrative requirements including insurances and employers’ obligations;- A description of the logistics for the provision of breathing gas, and of the procedures applied to ensure the good quality of this gas;- A description of the procedures to manage the saturation and the decompression of divers throughout the mission;- A detailed risk analysis that:A) Describes how a typical dive will be operated during the mission;5B) Identifies all foreseen risks associated to the diving operations planned in the area of interest onboard of the diving platform available, with for each of them specific measures to mitigate or eliminate these risks;C) Lists all necessary diving & safety equipment;D) Details the emergency plan covering the immediate rescue of endangered divers, the primary care to apply to an injured diver and the evacuation procedure in case of emergency;This working method statement ensures compliance with Article 5 of the Royal Decree of 28 April 2017 on the protection of workers against the risks associated with work in hyperbaric environments. The WMS, including the associated Operational Risk Management (ORM), has to be read and approved by participants.