IMCA Newsroom

Press Release

IMCA SURVEY TO DETERMINE DIVING WORKFORCE TRENDS

IMCA - the International Marine Contractors Association - is surveying its members to collect data about the experience and employment profile of surface supply and saturation divers now working in the industry.

Concern is growing amongst IMCA members that client reluctance to take on trainees, coupled with similar resistance among contractors to deploy new divers on tightly-budgeted contracts is presenting growing difficulties for new trainees needing introductory opportunities in dive teams and further essential offshore experience.

"We need to acquire more information in order to determine how our members can respond to this seemingly worrying trend," explains IMCA Chief Executive, Tony Read. The results of the survey are expected by mid-2001.

Medical concern too

In a related development DMAC (the Diving Medical Advisory Committee) recently issued a formal statement expressing concern about the lack of European post-graduate level training programmes in diving medicine. "DMAC hopes to encourage universities and regulatory authorities in countries where diving is of commercial importance to establish joint programmes to ensure sufficient recruitment of trained doctors to provide medical coverage for diving," explained Dr. Al Brubakk, Chairman of DMAC.

DMAC wants to see new MSc and PhD programmes established and, ultimately, a new college of baromedicine.

While there are few accidents and reported cases of diving related problems, DMAC believes the industry needs a stronger research base because it still lacks important knowledge about fundamental factors underlying key diving practices and procedures.

Moreover, according to DMAC, an insufficient number of new doctors and researchers are now entering the field of barometric medicine. This, says DMAC, raises the spectre of a serious shortage of skilled and experienced consultants when the clutch of current specialists (all of whom trained during the ‘golden' years of diving research in the 1970s and 1980s) retires over the coming decade.

Notes to Editors (common)

• IMCA is an international association with over 450 members in more than 50 countries, representing offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies. IMCA has four technical divisions, covering marine/specialist vessel operations, offshore diving, hydrographic survey and remote systems and ROVs, plus geographic sections for the Americas Deepwater, Asia-Pacific, Europe & Africa and Middle East & India regions, as well as a core focus on safety, the environment, competence and training. IMCA seeks to promote its members' common interests, to resolve industry-wide issues and to provide an authoritative voice for its members.
• IMCA publishes some 200 guidance notes and technical reports. These have been developed over the years and are widely distributed. They are a definition of what IMCA stands for, including widely recognised diving and ROV codes of practice, DP documentation, marine good practice guidance, the Common Marine Inspection Document, safety recommendation, outline training syllabi and the IMCA competence scheme guidance. In addition to the range of printed guidance documents, IMCA also produces safety promotional materials, circulates information notes and safety flashes.
• Judith Patten is here to help you if you want any additional information on IMCA; would like to discuss a feature article; want to organise interviews with key members of the IMCA team, etc.