IMCA's Role as a Trade Association

Trade associations such as IMCA exist for the benefit of member companies or individuals in a particular industry or sector.

Their remit normally includes promoting common interests and improvements in working practices and professionalism, as well as disseminating good practice, organising training, development and networking events and communicating with members.

IMCA places particular emphasis on promoting improvements in quality, health, safety, environmental and technical standards. It also assists members with commercial activities, especially in the area of contracting. A key document, IMCA Contracting Principles, encourages an equitable contractual balance based on the parties’ respective risks and rewards. IMCA has also published standard contracts for the offshore survey and ROV sectors.

As is normal practice for most trade associations, IMCA represents its members in dealing with related organisations, the regulatory authorities and the media.

It is vital for trade associations to comply with international competition law, which IMCA ensures through strict guidelines.

More details are set out in a document entitled 'What is a trade association?', available via this link or as a downloadable factsheet below.

Self-Regulation

Trade associations such as IMCA do not regulate in the same way as legislators. They provide members with guidance, allowing them to 'self-regulate' rather than look to clients or governments for setting rules and procedures.

While governments legislate on a range of issues in the public interest, they cannot produce legislation for every part of an industry's operations - nor may that be desirable. For example, legislation may cover the requirements for the overall safe operation of a vessel but is unlikely to provide details for DP operations on the wide variety of vessel types described in IMCA guidelines.

A key benefit of industry guidance is that it can be implemented and updated more quickly than legislation - vital in an industry with rapidly advancing technology.

IMCA prides itself on providing guidance which is a proper reflection of world-wide good practice in the offshore marine contracting sector.

More details are set out in a factsheet on self-regulation, available for downloading below.