New “IMCA Diving CPD Mix” opens access to IMCA's industry-leading training app to the whole diving industry
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is pleased to announce that IMCA’s industry-leading Diving Supervisor Continuing Professional Development (CPD) service, previously available only to certified diving supervisors, is now accessible to a wider range of industry professionals through the newly launched IMCA Diving CPD Mix.
Since its successful launch in 2019, the IMCA CPD app has become well established among IMCA diving supervisors and now has more than 1,500 users. However, over time, IMCA has received increasing requests to open its training to a broader community of diving professionals, including:
- Non-IMCA diving contractors (such as those specialising in salvage, underwater ship husbandry projects, and inland/inshore diving projects),
- Offshore energy company personnel (such as client representatives, project managers, and project and graduate engineers),
- Regulatory personnel (including health and safety inspectors, government bodies, and more).
In response to this demand, IMCA is delighted to introduce IMCA Diving CPD Mix – a significant development in the professional advancement of diving personnel, for use by the whole diving industry.
This new product makes the diving supervisor CPD app available to all interested parties in the offshore sector, and beyond. Unlike the mandatory ‘Diving CPD Pro’ for IMCA diving supervisors, CPD Mix is designed with flexibility in mind, and enables users to skip modules according to their particular interests and needs. For example, a project engineer seeking to refresh their knowledge of subsea lifting techniques can do so without being required to complete modules on diving physiology.
Bill Chilton, IMCA Diving Manager
By opening up this resource, we’re supporting the drive for safer, smarter operations across the entire offshore community
Bill Chilton, IMCA Diving Manager, commented: “We’re excited to make our CPD app available to a much wider audience through CPD Mix. By opening up this resource, we’re supporting the drive for safer, smarter operations across the entire diving community, not just for diving supervisors, but for anyone who needs to understand the complexities of the industry, whether they work offshore or not.”
With the launch of IMCA Diving CPD Mix, IMCA reaffirms its commitment to raising standards and promoting safety, knowledge, and professional development across the entire diving industry. Diving CPD Mix is open to anyone with a working interest in commercial diving, with users able to select content of interest from the full catalogue, with no restrictions or completion requirements. Diving CPD Mix is priced at £200 per year, with discounts available for bulk purchases, and for training instructors at IMCA-recognised providers.
Each year of CPD material will be made up of four units that will be issued quarterly, and each unit will consist of six modules:
- One core module aimed at both air diving and bell diving supervisors. This module will contain details of new IMCA Safety Flashes and recent IMCA Diving Information Notes.
- Four modules focused on refreshing and updating users’ knowledge of the IMCA Diving division’s current information and guidelines for surface diving operations.
- One saturation diving module.
Diving CPD history at IMCA – an essential tool to maintain safety standards offshore
Until 2020, there was no formal requirement for IMCA diving supervisors to maintain their technical knowledge or keep up-to-date with the latest industry guidance. When the diving supervisor scheme was first developed by IMCA’s predecessor organisation, the Association of Offshore Diving Contractors (AODC), in the late 1980s, diving supervisor certificates were issued for life. Once qualified, certified supervisors were not required by AODC or IMCA to undertake any additional refresher or development training.
However, as the offshore marine industry evolved, it became clear that this approach was no longer sufficient to maintain the highest standards of safety. Diving supervisors occupy a safety-critical role, and modern high-risk industries, including the offshore sector, now require their safety-critical personnel to undertake some form of continuing professional development. This is essential for preventing skill-fade and ensuring that staff remain up-to-date with current recognised good practice.
To address this need, IMCA introduced its innovative CPD app for diving supervisors. The CPD app provides a user-friendly platform for supervisors to keep their technical knowledge current without needing to return to the classroom for refresher training or to re-sit examinations. From 2021, it has been mandatory for IMCA air and bell diving supervisors to complete all relevant units within the CPD App each year to maintain their IMCA diving supervisor certification.
Click here for more information about IMCA Diving CPD Mix and how to access the app.
