IMCA Newsroom

Press Release

CATCHING UP ON COMPETENCE SCHEME REQUIREMENTS

Personnel agencies supplying personnel to the offshore survey sector are being invited by IMCA - the International Marine Contractors Association - to join them at a special meeting being held at the biennial Oceanology International 2002 Conference and Exhibition (ExCel, London, 5-8 March 2002) to catch up on developments on the groundbreaking IMCA Competence Assurance and Assessment Scheme. IMCA is an official supporter of OI2002 and will have an exhibition stand at the four-day event.

The Scheme was launched in January 1999 to allow marine and underwater contractors in IMCA's four divisions - Diving, Marine, Offshore Survey and Remote Systems and ROV - to demonstrate professional levels of competence across a wide range of operations, and to give the offshore industry confidence that all personnel appointed to safety-critical positions can carry out their jobs in an effective manner. In this context ‘safety-critical' is taken as describing a job or function where an individual's judgement, decision or action including a command, instruction or direction, can influence the safety of other persons, property or the environment.

More than ten personnel agencies have become members of IMCA, which has close on 200 member companies all over the world, in order to stay abreast of developments in the Competence Scheme. "We look forward to welcoming these members, and organisations new to IMCA and its aims, to our special session on 7th March," explains Tony Read, the Association's Chief Executive. "The meeting will last for about two hours and provide a full up-date on all Competence Scheme matters, and help us to ensure that the guidance we issue is based on good industry practice and relevant to personnel agencies." Invitations are available from IMCA at Carlyle House, 235 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1EJ, UK or by emailing imca@imca-int.com

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.