IMCA Site Search and Publications Listing

IMCA helps its members to share information on potential hazards at the worksite and lessons learnt from follow-up investigations and, thereby, to avoid repeat occurrences elsewhere in the industry.

Why? A trade association belongs to its members. By being active in IMCA, you make sure your voice is heard and know that IMCA is addressing issues affecting you, the benefits of your experience are included when developing good practice guidance and that you are benefiting from the opportunities for sharing, learning and networking that membership provides.

IMCA members require sufficient, skilled personnel in order to undertake their operations safely and efficiently. The association helps ensure their availability through promotion of offshore careers to potential recruits, guidance on training, certification and competence and other initiatives to facilitate recruitment and ease the free movement of personnel globally.

One of IMCA’s key aims is to promote safety in the offshore working environment. Code of practice for the safe and efficient operation of remotely operated vehicles (IMCA R 004) has played a vital role in providing the international community with a common set of guidelines and recommendations that provide a high level of safety and efficiency.

In the past, clients and prospective clients requested individual inspections and audits of vessels they wished to contract. Such inspections and audits can be time-consuming and costly and many vessel operators found themselves struggling with the demands placed upon them. Through consultation with industry, a solution was found.

A competent workforce is more productive, operating with reduced risks, shorter downtimes and fewer injuries.

IMCA aims to improve health, safety and technical standards throughout the offshore construction industry. Consequently, it has run certification schemes for offshore diving supervisors and life support technicians for more than 15 years.

IMCA Diving Division promotes safe practice in the offshore diving industry, addressing all aspects of equipment, operations and personnel related to offshore diving operations.

By the early 1980s, dynamic positioning (DP) was being used on a growing number of offshore construction vessels and in specialist marine operations where the technology of DP was a crucial part, either because DP was the practical answer for keeping a vessel within precise navigational limits, or because of commercial advantages, perhaps in terms of fuel costs.

IMCA’s Guidelines for the Design and Operation of Dynamically Positioned Vessels represent a practical amalgamation of current regulations, operating procedures and good practice. The document provides a standard that is both achievable and capable of enhancing safety.

People use the materials produced by IMCA in a variety of ways to help them in their daily work. This factsheet aims to share a few successful ideas.

IMCA General Contracting Principles is a discussion document which aims to serve the long-term interests of all participants in the oil and gas industry by encouraging an equitable contractual balance based on parties’ respective risks and rewards.

IMCA arranges a variety of events all around the world aimed at bringing together its members and others in the industry for the benefit of the industry.

This factsheet clarifies certain aspects of IMCA membership. It confirms, in one place, the material which is contained in the IMCA Constitution and in other IMCA documents like the IMCA logo guidelines, the annual member certificate and the published good practice guidelines. These documents contain the basis of membership of IMCA.

IMCA publishes over 200 documents to promote good practice and raise awareness of technical issues about work in the marine contracting industry. This extensive catalogue builds on the achievements of IMCA’s predecessor organisations AODC and DPVOA, whose earlier documents still considered current are available from IMCA.

The IMCA International Code of Practice for Offshore Diving provides advice on ways in which diving operations can be carried out safely and efficiently.

These vessels are purpose built for specific operations in a demanding environment. They are usually classed for dynamic positioning and as such are often equipped with a level of propulsion and redundancy well in excess of that found on normal merchant vessels. Redundant engine and emergency auxiliary power systems ensure extreme unlikelihood of total blackout.

IMCA Marine Division covers all aspects of specialist vessel operations and marine equipment. Focusing on dynamic positioning and general marine construction, other key areas of interest are offshore lifting operations, position reference equipment, thrusters and system reliability.

Code of Practice for the Initial and Periodic Examination, Testing and Certification of Diving Plant and Equipment.

The offshore renewable energy industry is expanding rapidly. This expansion has brought new clients, contractors, suppliers and consultants to this market. They have delivered new energy generating designs, new structural solutions, new vessels and new personnel.

Hydrographic surveyors have been active in the marine environment for many years. Their primary role is to chart the world’s seas and oceans, including measuring currents, tides and waves, mapping the ocean floor and exploring for the minerals that lie beneath.

IMCA publishes a wide range of logbooks for use by personnel throughout the offshore industry. These books provide a convenient way for personnel to record their qualifications, training and experience.

IMCA Remote Systems & ROV Division focuses on all aspects of equipment, personnel and operations relating to remotely operated systems used in support of marine activities.

Members are encouraged to reproduce the IMCA logo in their corporate documentation – headed paper, brochures, websites, etc. – to demonstrate their membership of the Association.

Lifting is a key part of almost all offshore and subsea operations. It can range from lifting of stores and spares handling through to complicated and heavy lifts and there could be in excess of 200 different lifting operations on a vessel.

One of IMCA’s key objectives is “to strive for the highest possible standards of health, safety and environment with a balance of risk and cost”, thus providing the safest possible working environment for our members’ workforces and ensuring their efficient, uninterrupted operations.

Self-regulation has always been an IMCA goal, in common with many other contractor trade associations.

IMCA is the international trade association representing offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies.

Marine contractors undertake a wide variety of operations offshore, all of which require highly skilled and competent personnel to work with sophisticated equipment onboard or working from specialist vessels. IMCA undertakes a variety of initiatives to help ensure those undergoing training emerge with the skills required by industry.

Trade associations are formed from a membership of companies operating in a particular area of industry and exist for their benefit. They can promote common interests and improvements in quality, health, safety, environmental and technical standards.