From the President - November 2004
Since the summer IMCA has clearly been back in the swing of things, moving house and pursuing many activities. You could say it's the price of success that IMCA now works on such a wide variety of topics and is continually asked to join other industry initiatives.
Over the last few years IMCA has concentrated on building the global structure and doing the work required to deliver its key objectives to improve safety and operational practice across the offshore industry. Much of this work has a technical focus but as IMCA has matured into a global trade association for all marine contracting activities, the breadth of its agenda has had to expand to address political and commercial concerns.
As a large trade association dealing with some sensitive commercial issues, IMCA knows it must remain well within international rules and regulations that govern competition in business. It is unfortunate that IMCA has not yet been able to publish its guidance on contracting principles, which as you all know has been one of IMCA's key objectives for this year. Our professional advisers have, however, been unable to agree a final text due to small but significant concerns about how it will relate to some anti-competition law. Nevertheless, I remain confident a solution can be found such that the completed guidance can be issued shortly.
Other areas of IMCA's diverse workload currently include co-ordination with offshore operators, governments and other trade associations on operating standards for dynamically positioned supply vessels, the EU working time directive, IMHH (an industry-wide facility to allow mutual hold harmless agreements between contractors when working on client facilities in the UK sector) and work with the International Diving School Association to develop a common standard for acceptance of diver training schools' certification that can fit with IMCA's own established guidelines on diving operations.
Over and above this, through its regional and technical committees, IMCA sustains a large body of ongoing work conducted to ensure the Association and its members remain up to date with all the technical and operating practices required to meet the constant challenges that confront the sector. All of this work, including that related to some of the more difficult and sensitive political or commercial issues, deserves our support because without it IMCA could not maintain the Association's leadership at the heart of the industry.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming seminar in Singapore which looks set to be an enjoyable and productive meeting where IMCA members and clients will be able to meet and catch up on events.
Steve Preston, Heerema Marine Contractors
IMCA President 2003-4
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