IMCA adopts Environmental Sustainability Roadmap

Diving Supervisor CPD requirements for 2021

eCMID Inspection Application changes

Latest COVID-19 updates and IMO report

Recent and forthcoming events | IMCA Digest

A new IMCA website will be launched soon. Existing company login details will be retired, with individual user accounts that will help you customise your experience as an IMCA member.

Look out for our email update, and a fresh new look for Making Waves!

IMCA’s Board approved our strategic direction on environmental sustainability last month and also agreed to elevate the Environmental Sustainability Committee to core committee status. The strategy has four key aims:

• Shifting the needle in environmental performance and the low carbon transition;
• Supporting the membership on environmental performance and meeting the Paris Agreement;
• Being recognised by Members as a neutral, trusted partner and technical authority; and
• Serving as a standard setter for environmental sustainability in the offshore marine contracting industry.

IMCA is committed to improving the safety of all offshore operations, with diving supervisors holding among the most safety-critical positions within our industry. IMCA has developed a platform to meet their continuing professional development (CPD) needs and so maintain the currency of their qualifications, with a CPD app now in use by almost 1000 supervisors worldwide.

The uptake has been extremely encouraging and feedback indicates the app has been welcomed by all corners of industry. We are therefore ready to move to the next stage which will make CPD mandatory for all IMCA diving supervisors from Q1 2021.

In July 2020, we launched the new eCMID Inspection App - a browser-based application for use by Accredited Vessel Inspectors within the IMCA eCMID system.

IMCA’s Marine eCMID Committee recently reviewed adoption of the new app, and agreed that the classic Windows application will be withdrawn at the end of 2020. This change will enable funds to be targeted on new developments that will further improve the system for all users - with much in the pipeline.

It is with great sadness that we inform members that John Howard of IJUBOA passed away recently.

John was a great character, well known and respected within the offshore renewable energy sector. He was always willing to contribute to IMCA committees and workgroups and his experience and knowledge will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues in the IMCA community.

IMCA continues to be involved in various industry groups lobbying on behalf of offshore workers. Recently one such group comprising key associations submitted suggestions to the IMO for possible amendments to the Annex of the FAL Convention to ensure the facilitation of maritime traffic during a public health emergency of international concern.

This group comprises ICS, BIMCO, CLIA, FONASBA, INTERCARGO, INTERMANAGER, IAPH, IFSMA, IMCA, IMPA, IPTA, ITF, WSC and you can read the full document on our website. [link]

IMCA continues to collaborate with its global shipping industry partners through the IMO to highlight to governments the ongoing humanitarian crisis surrounding restrictions on crew changes, shore leave and access to medical treatment for seafarers.

The ‘Recommended Framework of Protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’ was first issued by the IMO’s Secretary-General on 5 May 2020 (Circular Letter 4204/Add.14) and IMCA was a co-sponsor. This framework document has now been strengthened with the inclusion of additional measures on testing requirements and quarantine restrictions, prior to mobilisation, and the updated document has been re-issued as Circular Letter 4204/Add.1/Rev.1.

The UK Government is leading an effort to strengthen the status of this document by making it an IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) Resolution in an effort to ensure that the Protocols become part of the remit of health authorities and border controls and IMCA will again be lending its’ support by co-sponsoring the proposal when it is submitted to IMO.

Visit our website for further information over the coming weeks, where you can also access the amended protocols:

• ICS Guidance for Ship Operators for the Protection of the Health of Seafarers [link]
• Recommended Framework of Protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic [link]
• The COVID-driven humanitarian crisis of seafarers: A call for action under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights [link]

In 2018, leading IMCA members came together to develop the Resilience Awareness Programme. This was a tailored programme of six videos and accompanying guidance, designed to be used by groups of employees within the marine contracting industry.

It seems more timely than ever to draw the attention of our members and their workforces to this excellent and inspirational material. Resilience is about working through difficult experiences and being able to bounce back. It is learning from the way we cope with a difficult or stressful situation and applying that experience in the future.

13 October - • AWEA Offshore Windpower 2020 Virtual Summit

IMCA’s Bruce Gresham and Andy Goldsmith took part in this virtual conference on the North America wind energy industry

13 October - • GWEC Taiwan Virtual Summit

As part of a G+ session IMCA was represented at this event by Fritz Wiedemann of Van Oord, a member of our Marine Renewable Energy Committee.

A busy schedule of IMCA webinars is planned to close 2020:

• 17 November - Health & Safety – Our industry’s priority
  Hosted by IMCA’s Marine Renewable Energy Committee, this 90-minute webinar will focus on health and safety in the Renewable Energy industry. Confirmed speakers include representatives from the UK Health & Safety Executive, G+ and a number of IMCA members from the committee
• Regional webinars
  • 25 November - South America
  • 26 November - Middle East & India
  • 1 and 8 December - Europe & Africa
  • 3 December - North America
  • 9 December - Asia-Pacific

Keep an eye on our website for full details as they are announced.

3-5 November - Sustainability: The Subsea Industry and the Evolution of Energy

• IMCA is working with SUT and The Hydrographic Society in Scotland to schedule three two-hour sessions on key subjects
• 3 November - IMCA’s Nadine Robinson will be the keynote speaker, on 'Getting the Subsea Industry to Net Zero'
• 5 November - IMCA’s Nick Hough will be chairing the 'Innovation' session

IMCA publishes some 200 guidance notes and technical reports. These are a highly appreciated collection, adding value for our members by improving business performance and safety levels.

So far in 2020 we have published 8 new guidance documents, issued 35 updates, 48 information notes, 30 safety flashes containing some 120 safety alerts, and 14 bulletins.

Working through our committees we update and validate our guidance to share with our membership. As our IMCA committees comprise representatives from the industry, our documents can truly be said to have been created by the industry for the industry.

Please ensure MakingWaves@imca-int.com is on your safe list.

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Previous issues are available on our website at imca-int.com/makingwaves