IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector (ADSI) Scheme in Development

This information note is intended to make IMCA Diving Division members and other stakeholders aware that the Association is in the process of developing an IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector (ADSI) scheme. It briefly describes the reasons for introducing the scheme and gives a short overview of how it will work. It is anticipated that the IMCA ADSI scheme will be launched during 2022.

The work of IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspectors will be to conduct IMCA Diving Equipment Systems Inspection Guidance Note (DESIGN) audits.

IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector (ADSI) Scheme

The IMCA ADSI scheme will be open to personnel either already acting as a diving system inspector or gaining experience in order to become one. It is intended to apply to personnel conducting DESIGN audits and preparing DESIGN audit inspection reports. Such personnel perform a critically important role for the offshore energy diving industry.

The objectives of the IMCA ADSI scheme are to:

• Introduce an industry recognised professional accreditation for this important group of skilled workers
• Help the offshore energy diving industry ensure ‘objective auditing’ of diving systems by individual inspectors
• Improve the quality, consistency, professionalism and credibility of diving system DESIGN inspections
• Give diving contractors, client companies and other stakeholders confidence that the diving systems installed and used on diving platforms that have been subject to DESIGN inspections are fit for purpose and safe to use
• Provide assurance that diving system inspectors who conduct DESIGN inspections for diving system operators and client companies are:
  • trained and accredited to a recognised industry standard
  • competent to undertake their duties
  • able to prepare and deliver consistently high-quality DESIGN diving system inspection reports
  • able to conduct their duties at all times with professionalism, objectivity, independence, courtesy, and integrity.

The scheme will have two categories of accreditation.

• An inspector of surface orientated diving systems against the requirements of IMCA D 018 – Code of practice for the initial and periodic examination, testing and certification of diving plant and equipment – and IMCA’s surface orientated diving DESIGN documents.
• An inspector of saturation diving systems against the requirements of IMCA D 018 and IMCA’s saturation diving DESIGN documents.

Please note that anyone seeking certification as an ADSI for saturation diving systems will need to have already passed an IMCA ADSI examination for surface diving systems.

The normal route to accreditation as an IMCA ADSI is shown graphically in Appendix 1.  When published, the ADSI scheme document will contain full details of the process.

IMPORTANT NOTE

IMCA Experienced Practitioner Accredited Diving System Inspector (EP ADSI) Scheme

Prior to the commencement of the IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector (ADSI) scheme in 2022, and for a limited time, the Association is introducing a route to certification as an IMCA ADSI for existing experienced DESIGN auditors. This will be known as the Experienced Practitioner Accredited Diving System Inspector (EP ADSI) scheme.

When the IMCA ADSI certification scheme opens next year, Trainee Diving System Inspectors (TDSI) enrolled on the scheme will be required to complete field training and experience requirements at trainee level by conducting DESIGN audits under the supervision of existing experienced and competent DESIGN auditors (see Appendix 1).

It is therefore necessary for industry to identify a core group of experienced DESIGN audit practitioners working in every IMCA region and put them through an appropriate process (the EP ADSI scheme) leading to accreditation as an IMCA ADSI, before the IMCA ADSI scheme proper is launched next year.

Put simply, to begin running the ADSI scheme IMCA must first-of-all have a sufficient number of certified IMCA ADSIs already in place. These diving system inspectors will have followed the EP ADSI scheme route to certification as an IMCA ADSI, and it is they who will be considered by IMCA to have the competence to act as supervisors of the TDSIs during their periods of field training.

Nomination of Experienced DESIGN Audit Practitioners

IMCA is therefore seeking nominations for known, respected and experienced DESIGN audit practitioners to be entered as candidates into the IMCA EP ADSI scheme.

Only nominations received from member companies of the following organisations will be accepted and considered by IMCA:

• IMCA Diving Division
• Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI)
• G+ Offshore Wind Health and Safety Association
• International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP).

Full details of the IMCA Experienced Practitioner Accredited Diving System Inspector scheme are set out in IMCA Information Note 1566.  That document also describes the process companies should follow when nominating experienced practitioner candidates for entry into the EP ADSI scheme.

Nominations for experienced DESIGN audit practitioners to be considered for entry into the IMCA EP ADSI scheme will close on 30 September 2021.

Applications from nominated candidates for entry into the IMCA EP ADSI scheme will close on 31 December 2021.

IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector (ADSI) Scheme Process

1. The relevant training provider will charge a fee for the preparatory course
2. All IMCA examinations are taken at professional invigilation centres using online examination systems. An examination fee will be levied for each examination taken. The ADSI examinations are open-book.