Underwater Wet Welding & Oxy-Arc Cutting SWMS
Wet welding and oxy-arc cutting underwater. Electrical safety in seawater, hydrogen embrittlement, underwater fume management. Diver and topside crew coordination per AS 2815.3.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Underwater wet welding and oxy-arc cutting operations involving submerged structural repair, salvage, and demolition. Combines electrical hazards in seawater, hydrogen gas accumulation, and diving risks. Triggers HRCW provisions under WHS Regulation 2025 for diving work and work near water, requiring documented SWMS before commencement under section 299.
Hazards identified
3 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Diver electrocution or fatal cardiac arrest
Underwater explosion, barotrauma, diver fatality
Diver asphyxiation and death
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Use DC welding with negative polarity, knife switch isolation, and topside-controlled current activation only when diver requests.
- 2Vent enclosed spaces continuously; never weld overhead in confined voids where hydrogen can accumulate.
- 3Maintain bailout gas, standby diver, and two-way comms per AS/NZS 2299.1 throughout entire dive.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandatory standard for commercial diving safety systems
Competency requirements for underwater welding personnel
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Submerged welding operations expose divers to drowning from equipment failure or entanglement.
All underwater welding constitutes occupational diving under WHS Regulation 2025.
SWMS mandatory before work; penalties up to $30,000 per breach.
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX SWMS template
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule
- ✓Project hazard register
- ✓Worker sign-on register
Related legislation
- WHS Regulation 2025 Part 4.8 Diving Work
- Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012
- AMSA Maritime Orders Part 503