Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award
Industry award covering employers throughout Australia in the professional industrial diving industry — provision of underwater services to industry including offshore exploration and development diving and related shipboard services. Two distinct sectors: inshore divers (coastal/inland under State/Territory jurisdiction — Section B, cl 25-30) and offshore divers (offshore petroleum diving outside State/Territory boundaries within Commonwealth jurisdiction — Section C, cl 31-34). Includes ADS (atmospheric diving systems) operations and saturation diving. Excludes Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award MA000109. Inshore standard rate = Diver = $1,283.50/wk = $33.78/hr; Offshore Diver minimum $1,061.70/wk + 111% aggregate factor = ~$2,240.19/wk total = $58.95/hr. Distinctive features: TWO sectors with COMPLETELY DIFFERENT pay structures — offshore aggregate weekly factor 108-117% (cl 32.1(c)) baked into rate INCLUDES roster premium + OT + industry nature + penalties + conditions (NO separate OT/penalty calc for offshore); 14-day on/14-day off offshore roster cycle (cl 31.1(c)); ONE paid off-duty leave day per on-duty day (cl 31.1(b)); casual minimum payment 8 hours (cl 10.1) — much higher than typical 3-4hr; casual termination by 4 hours' notice (cl 10.5); 4-week employment threshold for FT vs casual (cl 9.2) — <4wk paid at casual rates regardless of intent; inshore OT trigger 7h36m/day (cl 30.1(a)) — NOT 8 hours, NOT after 38hrs/wk, per-day basis only; inshore casual OT applied to casual hourly rate which already includes loading (NOT add-on stacking); diving allowance per metre/foot of depth (inshore $5.52/m, offshore $4.99/m + saturation/non-saturation/ADS minimums); hyperbaric welding paid per linear millimetre; offshore disability allowance $84.94/day FT or $100.76/day casual; offshore living away $75.66/day; insurance policy reimbursement up to $162,599 sum insured; loss of personal effects up to $3,147 offshore; AL loading 17.5% INSHORE ONLY (offshore via cycle); PH 250% INSHORE ONLY (offshore via aggregate factor); NO part-time employment (cl 8.1) — only FT or casual.
Fully built. Rates, allowances, penalties and any required apprentice / junior rates are all wired to the rate resolver and have been verified against the consolidated award text and the latest pay guide.
What's built
- All 14 classifications across 2 sectors (PR786647 ppc 01Jul25): **Inshore Section B (4 classifications)** — Diving Supervisor, Hyperbaric Welder, Diver = STANDARD RATE $1,283.50/wk = $33.78/hr (cl 2 def + 25.x), Diver's Attendant. **Offshore Section C (10 classifications with aggregate weekly factors 108-117% baked in per cl 32.1(c))** — Diver minimum $1,061.70 + 111% factor = $2,240.19/wk total = $58.95/hr; total monthly = total weekly × 4.35.
- 2 AwardSector rows: inshore (Section B — standard 38h/wk, hourly = weekly/38, full OT/penalty calc); offshore (Section C — 14-day on/14-day off cycles, aggregate factor self-contained, NO separate OT/penalty).
- 26 allowances scoped via sector: **Inshore (15)** — diving per metre/foot ($5.52/m or $1.67/ft only for dives >50ft/15m or decompression, once per day at greatest depth, Diving Supervisor 20% of average); NDT; hyperbaric welding ($6.29/mm successful, $4.24/mm repair-required); annual medical exam (AS 2299 Appendix A); meal OT; fares; distant work expenses/accom weekly/daily; vehicle; diving clothing/equipment; casual footwear. **Offshore (11)** — disability $84.94/day FT or $100.76/day casual on support vessel (cl 34.2(a)); diving per metre/foot non-ADS ($4.99/m or $1.49/ft) with $74.50 non-saturation min OR $372.50 saturation min per 12-hour period; ADS Operations $2.44/m or $0.74/ft with $185 min; NDT; hyperbaric welding ($6.16/mm successful, $4.14/mm repair-required); loss of personal effects up to $3,147; living away $75.66/day; clothing/equipment FT/casual; insurance up to $162,599 sum insured.
- 11 penalty rows (INSHORE ONLY — offshore has NO penalty rows since aggregate factor absorbs everything): PH 250% min 4hrs (cl 19.2); OT 150% first 2-3h / 200% after / Sun 200% / PH 250% (FT and casual variants — casual variants applied to already-loaded casual_hourly_rate per cl 10.2(c) + 30.2 NOTE); recall to OT min 4 hours (cl 30.3); late wage waiting; distant travel Sun/PH 150% (cl 29.3(c)(iii)).
- 9 leave entitlements: AL 4w + 17.5% loading INSHORE ONLY (cl 14.2(b)); offshore divers do NOT receive AL loading — leave is via cl 31.1 on-duty/off-duty cycle (one paid off-duty leave day per on-duty day per cl 31.1(b)); excessive accrual standard set; AL in advance + cashout; **accident pay 52-week workers comp top-up (cl 12) — DISTINCTIVE** — top-up to weekly amount that would have been received on personal leave; cumulative across multiple absences from one injury; first 7 days NOT excluded; casual based on 12-month avg ord hrs incl casual loading; personal/carer's, compassionate, parental, community service, FDV, LSL.
- 4 pay conditions: Inshore Full-Time (38h/wk, OT trigger 7h36m/day per cl 30.1(a) — NOT 38h/wk), Inshore Casual (25% loading; **min 8 hours per engagement per cl 10.1 — DISTINCTIVE high; OT applied to already-loaded rate**), Offshore Full-Time (14-day on/14-day off cycle per cl 31.1(c); aggregate factor self-contained), Offshore Casual (no off-duty leave days; aggregate factor variant). **NO part-time employment (cl 8.1) — DISTINCTIVE** — only FT or casual.
- Cl 13A right to disconnect with reserve/stand-by carve-out.
- Cl 26 inshore meal break unpaid, max 3 hrs continuous work; duration and time fixed by agreement.
- **Casual termination by 4 hours' notice (cl 10.5) — DISTINCTIVE** — or payment/forfeiture of 4 hours' wages.
- **4-week employment threshold for FT vs casual (cl 9.2) — DISTINCTIVE** — employment of less than 4 weeks' duration paid at casual rates regardless of intent. Inshore weekly basis (cl 9.3); offshore weekly basis first 4 weeks then calendar month basis (cl 9.4).
- **Casual inshore short of work (cl 10.4) — DISTINCTIVE** — 4 hours' pay + fares/travel time if attend at usual time but not required to start.
- **Distant work return fares forfeited (cl 29.3(d)) — DISTINCTIVE** — if quit before 3 months / dismissed for misconduct / dismissed for incompetence within 1 week.
- Default super funds (cl 13.4 substituted by PR794797 ppc 23Jan26): HOSTPLUS, AMP Super Fund.
- Pay frequency weekly or fortnightly (inshore cl 9.3; offshore monthly basis after first 4 weeks per cl 9.4). Termination 7 days. Standard NES termination notice tier.
- ~155 configuration entries including 2-sector mapping (inshore Section B vs offshore Section C with aggregate factor flag), 14-day on/14-day off offshore cycle, off-duty leave day 1:1 ratio + imbalance management (cl 31.1(o)), inshore OT 7h36m/day trigger, casual OT add-on flag (NOT add-on stacking), diving allowance depth/metre with sector-specific minimums (saturation/non-saturation/ADS), hyperbaric welding per linear mm, offshore aggregate factor self-contained flag, casual min 8hr engagement (DISTINCTIVE high), casual 4hr-notice termination, 4-week FT vs casual threshold, NO PT employment flag, AL loading inshore-only flag, PH inshore-only flag, accident pay 52wk first-7-days-included, distant work return fare forfeiture rules.
Known limitations
- Offshore total weekly is self-contained — resolver must NOT layer OT/penalties on offshore classifications. Sector check on `AwardClassificationRate.sector_code='offshore'` short-circuits penalty stacking.
- Inshore OT trigger: per-day 7h36m (NOT 38hr/wk). After 7.6 hrs in any day OR outside 6am-6pm Mon-Fri spread. Resolver must use per-day basis, not weekly.
- Inshore casual OT applies to `casual_hourly_rate` which already includes 25% loading. NOT add-on stacking like MA000103 — the multipliers (150/200/200/250) are applied directly to the already-loaded rate.
- Offshore off-duty leave days: separate balance ledger from standard AL. 1:1 with on-duty days. Imbalance management per cl 31.1(o): positive carries over and paid on termination; negative deducted from monthly pay.
- Diving allowance per metre/foot: resolver needs depth input + sector + classification. Inshore: pay once per day at greatest depth, only if >15m/50ft or decompression required. Offshore: per 12-hour period; saturation vs non-saturation minimums; ADS minimums separate. Supervisors paid 20% of average; Life Support Technician (offshore only) 15%.
- Hyperbaric welding per linear mm: resolver needs weld length input + outcome (successful/repair-required); only paid to nominated coded team members.
- Disability allowance offshore: per on-duty day on support vessel; FT vs casual rate split.
- Living away offshore: per day of offshore duty period or temporary onshore away from home.
- Casual min engagement 8 hours (DISTINCTIVE high) — must enforce minimum payment regardless of actual hours worked.
- 4-week threshold for FT vs casual (cl 9.2): if total employment duration <4 weeks, paid at casual rates regardless of stated employment type.
- Inshore PH worked: 250% min 4 hours; part-day PH continuous shift counts toward minimum. Offshore PH absorbed in aggregate factor.
- Distant work return fares forfeited if quit before 3 months / dismissed for misconduct / dismissed for incompetence within 1 week.
- NO part-time employment (cl 8.1) — only FT or casual. Resolver must NOT route to PT pay condition.
Setup & special instructions
- Sector classification at engagement is mandatory — inshore (Section B, standard hourly) vs offshore (Section C, aggregate factor self-contained). Pay structure, OT, penalties, leave all branch on sector.
- Inshore standard rate = Diver = $1,283.50/wk = $33.78/hr (cl 2 def + 25.x).
- Offshore Diver minimum $1,061.70/wk + 111% aggregate factor = total $2,240.19/wk = $58.95/hr. Total monthly = total weekly × 4.35. NO separate OT/penalty calc — aggregate factor absorbs everything.
- Offshore 14-day on/14-day off cycles (cl 31.1(c)) with one paid off-duty leave day per on-duty day (cl 31.1(b)). Imbalance management per cl 31.1(o).
- Inshore OT trigger per-day 7h36m (cl 30.1(a)) — NOT 8 hours, NOT after 38h/wk. Per-day basis only.
- Inshore casual OT applied to already-loaded casual_hourly_rate (NOT add-on stacking). Multipliers 150/200/200/250 applied directly.
- Diving allowance: depth input required. Inshore $5.52/m or $1.67/ft (only >15m/50ft or decompression, once per day at greatest depth, Diving Supervisor 20%). Offshore $4.99/m or $1.49/ft non-ADS with $74.50 non-saturation min OR $372.50 saturation min per 12-hour period; ADS $2.44/m + $185 min; Diving Supervisor 20%, Life Support Technician 15%.
- Hyperbaric welding per linear mm: only paid to nominated coded team. $6.29/mm inshore successful / $4.24 repair; $6.16/mm offshore successful / $4.14 repair.
- NO part-time employment (cl 8.1) — only FT or casual. 4-week threshold (cl 9.2) — <4wk = casual rates regardless of intent.
- Casual minimum payment 8 hours (cl 10.1). Casual termination 4 hours' notice (cl 10.5). Casual short-of-work 4 hours pay + fares (cl 10.4).
- AL loading 17.5% INSHORE ONLY (cl 14.2(b)). Offshore via cl 31.1 cycle.
- PH 250% min 4 hours INSHORE ONLY (cl 19.2). Offshore via aggregate factor.
- Accident pay 52-week (cl 12) — first 7 days NOT excluded; cumulative across multiple absences from one injury.
- Cl 13.4 super: HOSTPLUS, AMP Super Fund. Plus stapled fund per ATO process / pre-12-Sep-2008 fund / defined-benefit fund.
- • Professional diving (industrial)
- • Industrial diving
- • Offshore diving
- • Inshore diving
- • Saturation diving
- • ADS (atmospheric diving systems)
- • Hyperbaric welding
- • Underwater services
- • Offshore petroleum diving
- • Commercial diving
- • Diving supervisor
- • Life support technician
The consolidated award text is the authoritative source. Always confirm specific obligations against the award itself — Mployr's implementation status reflects what we've seeded; it does not replace legal advice.
Want to see this award running on your data?
We can demo a pay run on the professional diving (industrial) award using sample employees in a sandbox tenant — including any of the special-instruction steps above so you can see exactly what your team's day-to-day looks like.
Book a demo