The Guardian 23 July, 2008
Dive safety in Queensland
under the spotlight
Australia’s dive industry is booming but lacks critical unified safety standards and professional training said the Maritime Union of Australia in Cairns earlier this month.
Union leaders headed to far north Queensland to put the spotlight on safety, training and workplace conditions in the fast growing but unregulated diving industry.
The National Secretary of the Maritime Union, Paddy Crumlin, and National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, Paul Howes, met with workers, industry and political leaders.
"We must ensure that we put in measures that safeguard workers, divers and protect the ongoing sustainability of the industry," said Mr Crumlin.
Currently there are no unified safety standards or regulation in the diving industry.
"Australia is renowned for its world class diving, with tourists travelling across the world just to dive in our waters — we need unified standards and training to ensure the safety of our divers is not compromised," said Mr Howes.
"Both our unions have already played important roles in defending the interests of working families in Queensland and Western Australia in off-shore industries such as diving, and the huge gas and oil off-shore fields, now we have combined forces so we can have even greater effect," he continued.