IMCA Press Release »

The current strained and straitened economic period has seen an increasing global emphasis on the importance of using competent personnel. It is a situation that is set to continue.

"It is well understood that a competent workforce helps to ensure contractors deliver value to clients," explains Hugh Williams, Chief Executive of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). "Increasingly contractors are called upon by clients, regulators and others to demonstrate that the individuals working for them, particularly in safety-critical roles, are adjudged competent."

IMCA, working through, and in consultation with, its members, has developed an extensive framework of guidance that members can use to establish or enhance their own in-house schemes, with recognised industry criteria and templates for assessment and record keeping.

Encouraging organisations to implement competence schemes is one of the mainstays of the IMCA work programme. There are frameworks in place for each of their technical divisions – marine, diving, offshore survey and remote systems and ROV. Development and implementation of scheme is then up to individual organisations.

In recent months, as part of their ongoing campaign to encourage implementation, IMCA has held a competence workshop aimed at contractors, their Competence & Training representatives, and offshore personnel; and also developed a new specialist competence framework for Common Marine Inspector Document (CMID) inspectors.

Stimulating workshop for members
"The workshop, held in Aberdeen, which attracted over a hundred people, is part of our ongoing campaign to keep reinforcing the all-important competence message," explains Jane Bugler, IMCA's Technical Director. "We posed a whole series of questions during the event all designed to provide food for thought – and action."

We then moved on to encouraging competence offshore with a second set of questions:

Looking at the transferability of competence we had yet another set of questions that triggered many interesting answers:

"Finally we asked delegates 'Regardless of what route is chosen for running an in-house competence scheme, what administrative challenges need to be tackled?' and then looked at roles and responsibilities and who does what. By the end of the day, thanks to seemingly simple questions, and plenty of stimulating discussion, there was a far greater understanding of the issues, and a commitment from delegates to very firmly get the message across!"

CMID inspector competence
IMCA's Common Marine Inspection Document (CMID), and e-CMID the electronic version launched in November 2009. One of the recent significant changes is the clarification of the inspector competence, recognised as a key part in delivering consistently good CMID reports. The areas addressed are qualifications, experience and verification of competence.

A framework for CMID inspector competence has been developed which will be incorporated within IMCA C 001 – 'Competence assurance and assessment' – in due course.

"Inspecting companies can use this to construct and develop their own competence scheme, tailored to meet their own needs," explains Hugh Williams. "For example, the CMID inspections may form only a part of a company's inspection and audit work and a part of the system they operate. They could include it within a progressive hierarchy of inspection and audit competence."

Full information on all aspects of IMCA's work on competence schemes and the frameworks in place for each of the technical divisions – and CMID inspectors – is at www.imca-int.com; and from IMCA at 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7824 5520; Fax: +44 (0)7824 5521; email: imca@imca-int.com

Notes to Editors (common)

IMCA is an international association with well over 800 members in 60 countries, as at September 2011, 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 Asia-Pacific, South America, Europe & Africa, Middle East & India and Central & North America 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.

Press releases issued by:
Judith Patten at JPPR
34 Ellerker Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6AA, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8241 1912
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8940 6211
judithpatten@wwmail.co.uk

For more details, please contact Hugh Williams, IMCA Chief Executive

COMPETENCE SCHEMES – GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS!