Guidance on the use of IMCA D 052 – Guidance on hyperbaric evacuation systems – to meet the requirements set out in OGP 478 – Performance of saturation diving emergency hyperbaric evacuation and recovery

In May 2013 IMCA published the second in its suite of guidance on hyperbaric evacuation – IMCA D 052 – Guidance on hyperbaric evacuation systems. This document provides guidance on the minimum requirements needed to achieve safe and successful evacuation of divers from saturation in an emergency and to identify the various factors that needed to be considered in the planning phase before diving commenced. It also provides guidance on the risk assessment process needed to ensure that an appropriate standard of safety was achieved. The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP)’s Diving Operations sub Committee (DOsC) developed its report OGP 478 – Performance of saturation diving emergency evacuation and recovery. This report provides information on what IOGP members would expect to see in a contractor’s hyperbaric evacuation plan. To guide the industry on how to meet the requirements set out in OGP 478 using IMCA’s guidance, a joint workgroup comprising both members of IMCA’s Diving Division Management Committee and IOGP’s DOsC was set up as proposed by IMCA. A gap analysis was performed between IMCA D 052 and OGP 478 which identified some differences between the two documents.

Originally issued with the following reference(s): IMCA D 15/14