Training And Qualifications in Commercial Diving

Training And Qualifications in Commercial Diving

The qualifications required for offshore diving work are to a large extent outside the normal jurisdiction of national governments due to the geographical situation of the work-sites, but the contractors and client organisations are bound by national and international legislation, and the procedural guidelines of organisations of which they may be members or signatories.[citation needed] A large number of international marine contractors are members of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), and much of international offshore diving follows IMCA procedures.

Diver training and certifications

Offshore divers are trained in the use of surface supplied diving equipment, which is standard for most offshore diving work. As much offshore diving contracts are carried out by members of IMCA, a large majority of the divers are registered with certification recognised by IMCA and the International Diving Regulators Forum (IDRF).

Recognised qualifications listed by the International Diving Schools Association include:

IDSA Level 3: Surface Supplied Offshore Air Diver equivalence:

Australia: Part 3

Canada: Unrestricted Surface Supplied Diver to 50m + Unrestricted SCUBA

Denmark: Surface Supplied Diver to 50m

France: Class 2 Mention A

Morocco: Class 2 Mention A

Netherlands: Certificate B

New Zealand: Part 3

Norway: Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Part 1 : Surface orientated Diver North Sea Offshore

South Africa: Class 2

Sweden: Diver Certificate C Wet Bell 60m

UK: HSE Part 1, HSE SCUBA plus HSE Surface Supply plus Tools Training module plus Surface Supplied Top Up

IDSA Level 4: Closed Bell Mixed Gas Diver equivalence:[17]

Australia: Part 4 diver

Canada: Bell diver

France: Class 3 Mention A

New Zealand: Part 3

Norway: NPD Bell Diver

South Africa: Class 1

UK: HSE Part 2, HSE Closed Bell

Offshore diving supervisor registration

All offshore diving operations by IMCA registered contractors must be under the control of an IMCA supervisor. There are two levels:

IMCA Air Diving Supervisor

IMCA Bell Diving Supervisor

Work skills training and assessment

Some work skills are implied by IDSA equivalent certification, and are included in diver training for these certificates,[18] but many of the more complex and technical skills must be learned elsewhere. There is no prescription for where these other skills are learned, and it is generally left to the employer to ensure that their employees are competent to do the job for which they are hired, and for the contractor to ensure that they deploy personnel who are competent to do the job for the client. IMCA provides guidance for assessment of several key offshore diving competences, which are transferable between IMCA member employers, but is not directly involved in the assessments. Some of these competences are renewable periodically, to ensure that the diver is currently competent.[19] Portfolio of evidence based systems are used where the diver keeps a record of assessments, verification records and evidence in the form of competence appraisal forms, work records and testimonials by competent witnesses.[20] Where competence is shown by records of formal education and training by a reputable organisation this may be recognised, but a significant part of training may be on the job.