Diving Regulations 2025 - Health and Safety Legislation Consultations

Overview

The Isle of Man (IOM) holds jurisdiction over its territorial waters but currently lacks a comprehensive offshore health, safety, and environmental framework. To address this, the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) is reviewing and updating legislation to align with UK offshore Health and Safety Executive (HSE) legislation and standards, ensuring internationally recognised safety regulations for future offshore energy developments are in place. 

In order to avoid different health and safety standards applying to the same work in the Island and its territorial sea, the offshore standards will also cover onshore work activities (where that is the case in the UK).  A phased implementation of new and updated legislation will allow IOM-based businesses time to prepare for this introduction.

This is the second consultation in the overall process and refers to the following draft legislation:

• Diving at Work Regulations 2025

The following are the objectives of the consultation:

• Legislative alignment:
  Assess stakeholder support for aligning Manx offshore health & safety legislation with UK standards, ensuring consistency and regulatory compatibility
   
• Regulatory scope and clarity:
  Identify specific areas within offshore health & safety regulation that may require additional focus, clarification, or enhancement to meet industry needs and best practices
   
• Industry impact and readiness:
  Understand potential challenges for Isle of Man-based businesses in adapting to the new framework, including operational, financial, or compliance-related concerns
   
• Support mechanisms:
  Identify the support needs of stakeholders (e.g., guidance, training, transitional arrangements) to facilitate effective implementation and compliance with the new regime
   
• Feedback on draft legislation:
  Collect stakeholder input on the draft legislative instruments for each stage of consultation
   
• General feedback:
  Provide an open channel for additional comments, concerns, or suggestions to inform the development of a robust and responsive health & safety framework

The above objectives are covered within the questions in the consultation document.

DEFA welcomes stakeholder and public feedback on updated and proposed health and safety legislation, and where appropriate any associated guidance documentation, through this public consultation process.

Reasonable adjustments and alternative formats

The Department is committed to equal opportunities and our aim is to make our documents easy to use and accessible to all.

The Department will take steps to accommodate any reasonable adjustments and provide such assistance as may reasonably be required to enable access or reply to this consultation.

If this document is required in another format or assistance is required with accessing or replying to this consultation, please email DEFAOffshore@gov.im

Responding to this consultation and questions

This consultation can be responded to by clicking on the 'Online survey' link below.

Alternatively you can download a paper version of this consultation from the 'Related' section below and email it to DEFAOffshore@gov.im or post it to:

The Offshore Team,
Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture,
Thie Slieau Whallian,
Foxdale Road,
St John’s,
Isle of Man,
IM4 3AS