IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector Scheme in Development

Published on 30 July 2021

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is currently developing its IMCA Accredited Diving System Inspector (ADSI) scheme which will introduce an industry-recognised professional accreditation for this important group of skilled workers. ADSIs will be accredited to conduct IMCA Diving Equipment Systems Inspection Guidance Note (DESIGN) audits. As one of the final stages in development of the scheme IMCA is now asking for known, respected and experienced DESIGN auditors to be put forward for early ADSI certification so they can act as field training supervisors when the scheme is launched during 2022.

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Bryan McGlinchy
Diving Consultant
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New IMCA information notes (Nos. 1565 and 1566) published at legacy.imca-int.com/information-notes/ provide an overview of how the new scheme will work, and details on the nomination of candidates. The 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, and thus performing a critically important role in the offshore energy diving industry.

As Bryan McGlinchy, IMCA’s Diving Manager explained:

“In order to facilitate the launch of the IMCA ADSI certification 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. IMCA is currently seeking nominations for known, respected and experienced DESIGN audit practitioners to be entered as candidates into the EP ADSI scheme. Nominations of, and from, these experienced individuals will close on 30 September 2021. (Applications from nominated candidates for routine entry into the scheme in readiness for when it is officially launched next year will close on 31 December 2021.)

“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.

“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 the EP ADSI scheme leading to accreditation as an IMCA ADSI, before the IMCA ADSI scheme proper is launched next year.”

He added:

“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.”

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.

Key objectives of the ADSI scheme

In addition to introducing an industry-recognised professional accreditation for this important group of skilled workers, IMCA lists five other objectives of the IMCA ADSI scheme, which aims to:

• 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
• Help reduce the frequency of diving system DESIGN inspections, especially when diving platforms and/or diving systems move to new projects and new clients, by maintaining an industry-recognised database containing records of high-quality DESIGN inspections undertaken by third-party ADSIs on specific diving systems
• 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.

Further detailed information on all aspects of the ADSI scheme is below.

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