Key IMCA document available for wide consultation

Published on 16 May 2013

One of the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA) key Diving Equipment Systems Inspection Guidance Notes (DESIGN) – IMCA D 023 ‘DESIGN for Surface Oriented (Air) Diving Systems’ has been substantially revised, and is in its industry-wide consultation phase until 14 June 2013.

“This is an important document and we have distributed the draft widely throughout the industry, but are eager to hear from all who are interested to become involved with the consultation exercise,” explains Jane Bugler, IMCA’s Technical Director.”D 023 was initially published in February 2000, and offers examples of good practice and gives advice on aspects of a diving system which should be configured in certain ways in order to provide a safer system of working. It also identifies safe and efficient methods of inspection and testing.”

Anyone interested in receiving a draft of the new ‘DESIGN for Surface Oriented (Air) Diving Systems’ and taking part in the consultation exercise should contact [email protected] In many cases the text has been revised to ensure that the same wording is used in D 023 as is used in the new version of D 024. In other cases proposed changes in text seek to clarify misunderstandings or inconsistencies which have arisen in the past with different auditors.

Feedback was key for the recent revision of D023’s sister publication D024 ‘DESIGN for saturation diving (bell) systems’.”The draft of the revised document was circulated between July and August 2012 and generated a large amount of feedback,” explains Jane Bugler.”During the remainder of 2012 the DESIGN workgroup met regularly to discuss the comments received; the final document was published last month.

“We believe that the exhaustive review of IMCA D024 provides the offshore diving industry with an up-to-date and unambiguous common methodology for undertaking consistent and objective inspections of non-PLC based saturation diving equipment systems. And this is exactly the procedure we are now going through with D 023.”