Diving company fined $730,000 for safety breaches

Underwater Inspection Services (UIS) pleaded guilty in the Melbourne County Court to seven charges in relation to five incidents in 2018. It pleaded guilty to failing to ensure workers were qualified to work in confined spaces and failing to ensure employees understood rescue procedures and emergency plans.

In a statement, WorkSafe executive director of health and safety, Narelle Beer, said she was astounded by the scope of the offending, given how naturally risky professional diving was as a job.

Occupational divers are reminded that the WHS regulator is the best avenue to signal safety concerns or compliance breaches. You can find your State WHS regulator contact details on the SafeWork Australia website . It is our collective duty to ensure that dangerous activities are reported so compliance action can be taken.

Find out more about the safety breach and case outcomes here.