Commercial DivingContractor Insurance.
Commercial diving contractors operate under three overlapping liability frameworks — state workers compensation on shore, USL&H at navigable waters, and the Jones Act for seamen — plus standard contractor exposure. Standard contractor programs don't address the maritime side.
↑↓ DRAG THE DIVER
Three liability frameworks. One contractor.
Commercial diving contractors work in a regulatory environment that no land-based contractor faces. The same diver, on the same crew, can shift between state workers compensation, federal USL&H, and Jones Act seaman status depending on which side of the gangway they're standing on and what they're doing at the moment of injury. Coverage that addresses only the land-based exposure leaves the maritime side uncovered; coverage that addresses only the maritime side leaves shoreside operations exposed. The program has to address both.
ADCI Standards — The Practical Benchmark
The Association of Diving Contractors International publishes the Consensus Standards for Commercial Diving and Underwater Operations. ADCI compliance is referenced in client contracts, evaluated by underwriters, and used as the benchmark for what qualified commercial diving operations look like. The federal OSHA standard at 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T establishes the regulatory baseline; ADCI raises it to industry practice.
Underwater Hot Work — Pollution Exposure
Underwater welding, cutting, and other hot work creates pollution exposure that standard CGL pollution exclusions typically eliminate. Petroleum sheens from sediment disturbance, residual hydrocarbon release from cleaned surfaces, and contaminated water diving in industrial harbors all create environmental scenarios that contractors pollution liability specifically addresses. Marine work is exposure-rich for pollution claims.
Program architecture for a commercial diving contractor.
CGL with Diving Operations Endorsements
Commercial general liability with specific diving operations endorsements addressing underwater work, marine project operations, and third-party diving-related exposure.
Maritime Employer's Liability / Jones Act
Coverage for crew members who qualify as Jones Act seamen. Standard state WC does not apply; the Jones Act negligence remedy is the operative framework.
USL&H Coverage
Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act coverage for crew working at navigable waters who are not Jones Act seamen. State WC does not cover USL&H workers.
Hull and P&I (Vessel Operators)
For diving contractors operating owned vessels, hull coverage on the vessel and protection and indemnity for vessel-related liability not covered by hull.
Contractor's Pollution Liability
For underwater hot work, contaminated water diving, and sediment disturbance pollution scenarios that standard CGL pollution exclusions eliminate.
Inland Marine — Dive Equipment
Surface-supplied diving systems, regulators, helmets, dive control consoles, chambers, mixed gas equipment, and other specialty dive equipment.
Commercial Umbrella / Excess
Industrial, petrochemical, and infrastructure client contracts require liability limits above standard diving contractor program defaults.
Commercial diving insurance — answered.
What insurance does a commercial diving company need? +
Commercial diving contractors need a coordinated program addressing both the operational diving exposure under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T and the contract liability common in marine, inland, and offshore project work. The complete program includes commercial general liability with diving operations endorsements, maritime employer's liability or Jones Act coverage for crew, USL&H coverage where applicable, hull and protection and indemnity for owned vessels, commercial auto for support fleet, inland marine for dive equipment, contractors pollution liability, and commercial umbrella.
What is the difference between Jones Act, USL&H, and state workers compensation for divers? +
The three workers compensation frameworks apply to different categories of maritime workers. The Jones Act applies to seamen — workers with substantial connection to a vessel in navigation — and provides a negligence-based remedy distinct from state workers compensation. The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (USL&H) applies to maritime workers engaged in loading, unloading, repairing, or building vessels at navigable waters. State workers compensation covers land-based workers.
What is the ADCI consensus standard for commercial diving? +
The Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) publishes the Consensus Standards for Commercial Diving and Underwater Operations, the principal industry consensus standard for commercial diving practices in North America. The ADCI standards cover crew qualifications, equipment, procedures, and minimum manning for different dive modes including air diving, mixed gas diving, and saturation diving. The federal OSHA commercial diving standard at 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T establishes the regulatory baseline.
Adjacent contractor hubs.
Four generations of specialty placement.
Kelly Insurance Group traces its lineage to 1881 — from Pittsburgh's Grant Street to a specialty brokerage placing programs for contractor classes that don't fit standard land-based contractor markets. Commercial diving requires carriers fluent in maritime liability frameworks that few standard markets handle.
READ THE FULL HISTORY →Specialists in commercial diving placement.
Commercial diving programs require brokers who understand the Jones Act / USL&H / state WC interaction, ADCI consensus standards, and hull and P&I integration for vessel-operating divers. Our team has placed these programs.
MEET THE KIG TEAM →Client Portal · COIs on Demand
Most KIG clients receive access to our custom client portal for 24/7 certificate generation — essential for diving contractors managing per-project, per-vessel, and per-port marine vendor requirements simultaneously.
Discuss your diving program.
Tell us about your operation — dive modes, markets served, vessel ownership, and crew structure. We structure programs around the actual liability framework profile.
- Inland diving contractors (dams, bridges, water plants)
- Offshore diving contractors
- Port and harbor diving contractors
- Marine construction support diving
- Underwater inspection diving
- Underwater welding & burning contractors
- Saturation diving operations
- Public safety dive services
// COVERAGE AVAILABILITY, TERMS, AND ELIGIBILITY VARY BY CARRIER, STATE, AND INDIVIDUAL RISK. MARITIME COVERAGE STRUCTURE IS COMPLEX AND VARIES MATERIALLY ACROSS CARRIERS. THIS PAGE DESCRIBES COVERAGE CONCEPTS GENERALLY. CONTACT KIG TO DISCUSS YOUR SPECIFIC DIVING OPERATION. KIG TRACES ITS AGENCY LINEAGE TO 1881. // 29 CFR 1910 SUBPART T AND THE JONES ACT (46 U.S.C. § 30104) ARE PUBLISHED FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND STATUTES.