When is mission maintenance required prior to a diving mission?

Mission maintenance is essential to ensure the diving equipment's functionality and safety before undertaking any diving operations. It is necessary when the equipment has not been used for an extended period or if there is a history of usage that raises concerns about its reliability.

The correct rationale for when mission maintenance is required includes the understanding that equipment which has never been used should still undergo inspection and maintenance procedures to confirm that it is in optimal working condition. This ensures that any potential issues that could arise from being untested are addressed before deployment.

In addition, the other scenarios where equipment was previously used but has been idle for 12 months or even recently used within the last 6 months also necessitate maintenance checks to verify ongoing safety and functionality. However, since the specific question pertains to the case of equipment that has never been utilized, it highlights the criticality of maintaining operational readiness regardless of past usage.

Therefore, it reinforces the principle that all equipment, irrespective of its prior operational history, must be thoroughly assessed and maintained to meet safety protocols before a diving mission.