Guidance on open parachute type underwater air lift bags

Summary

The scope of this guidance addresses the safe use of open parachute type underwater air lift bags used to lift or to reduce the weight of submerged objects.

It also addresses the operational use of open parachute type underwater air lift bags and the safety precautions that should be taken during their use.

This document does not include guidance on totally enclosed lifting bags or air/gas filled buoyancy tanks. Such items are designed to support loads on or near the surface and so are not ‘underwater air lift bags’ – however, any diver intervention on these items must be properly risk assessed.

This guidance does not apply to water-filled bags used as water weights for testing of other equipment.

Revision 5 of this document updated IMCA D016 Rev. 4 with changes which encompass:

• general editorial updates
• revisions to layout of document
• revisions to clarify diagrams.

Contents

• Introduction
• Abbreviations & Definitions
• Selection of Equipment
• Operational Guidance for the Safe Use of Lift Bags
• Guidance for Planning and Engineering
• Maintenance, Initial and Periodic Examination, Testing and Certification
• References
• Appendix 1 – Categories of Competent Person
• Appendix 2 – Underwater Air Lift Bags
• Appendix 3 – Sample Air Lift Bag Pre-Use Checklist

Version history

November 2023 Rev. 5.1 – QA check, document map added, no change to content

January 2022 Rev. 5 – 5-year review, revisions to layout and drawings.

July 2016 Rev. 4 – Major revisions to diagrams and to those sections dealing with the use of inverter lines and hold-back rigging

June 2007 Rev. 3 – To provide examples of different types of lifts

May 2003 Rev. 2 – Revised in light of further experience gained in the use of underwater air lift bags

January 1999 Rev. 1 – IMCA review

1993 AODC 063 Initial publication