The campaign began in December and was prompted by the Coroner’s report into the death of Ardebby Oh Chua, released in January 2024.
The report included seven recommendations to the government aimed at preventing or reducing the likelihood of another incident.
Ardebby Oh Chua was an international tourist who drowned in open waters near Blyth Island while on a snorkelling tour from Port Lincoln in December 2017.
SafeWork SA ran a webinar in November for recreational snorkelling/dive tour operators and industry stakeholders to engage with the overall aims of the campaign and to educate business operators on their workplace health and safety compliance and regulatory duties.
About 20 audits will be conducted with the bulk of them taking place from January 2025.
The audits will be completed in conjunction with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Commonwealth marine safety regulator.
The final audits will be completed during the Spencer Gulf giant cuttlefish season in mid-2025.
The Government’s response to the Coroner’s findings was tabled in Parliament in September.
Two of the Coroner’s recommendations relate to SafeWork SA’s activities around monitoring and enforcing compliance under work health and safety legislation.
The recommendations require SafeWork SA to conduct an audit of snorkelling tours in South Australia and report to the Coroners Court on its findings.
SafeWork SA will also report to the Coroner about the extent to which business operators are compliant with work health and safety legislation and details of where business operators have implemented industry best practices to demonstrate compliance with their workplace health and safety and regulatory duties.
The Coroner’s report also recommended that it be mandatory for tour operators to carry emergency oxygen units and automated external defibrillators as part of their first aid and emergency response equipment.
They must also ensure their staff are trained and available to administer that equipment.
SafeWork SA will recommend amendments to the First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice in June 2020, which serves as an enforceable instrument under the WHS Act, to make emergency oxygen units and automated external defibrillators mandatory for snorkelling tour operators.
Amendments requiring the training of staff and their availability to administer the equipment will also be recommended.
There is a need for snorkelling and recreational diving businesses to increase their awareness of their health and safety duties within the workplace.
These include duties to themselves, their workers and others attending their workplace including tour participants.
One death is one too many and this campaign aims to reduce the likelihood of further tragedy.– SafeWork SA Executive Director, Glenn Farrell
For more information visit: https://www.safework.sa.gov.au/news-and-alerts/news/news/2024/snorkelling-campaign-takes-deep-dive-into-industry-safety.