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IMCA five year plan turns vision into action

Anticipating the future needs of members, and setting high level aspirations and goals for that future, while continuing to respond and to deliver to the current needs of the industry are vital for a proactive trade association such as the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) which represents the interests of around 950 members in more than 60 countries. “It is a salutary thought that investigations indicate the collective annual turnover of IMCA members is in excess of $150bn per year, and that they directly employ almost 350,000 staff across the planet,” explains IMCA’s Chief Executive, Chris Charman.”The fleet of specialist

Safe methods of working under the EWEA Offshore Conference spotlight

Effective sharing of marine construction experience, safe methods of working and recommended practice for offshore installation will lie at the heart of presentation by Alan MacLeay at EWEA Offshore 2013 in the ‘Synergies with other maritime technologies’ session on 20 November in the ‘Industrialising the supply chain’ track. The offshore wind energy industry does not exist in isolation, and learning from, and integrating, other maritime sector technologies and methodologies presents opportunities for mutual cooperation, and is a vital step to increasing safety levels. Alan MacLeay is currently the engineering director for renewables at Seaway Heavy Lifting and chairman of the

Delegates from 31 countries heading to Singapore for IMCA annual seminar

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Annual Seminar with its theme ‘Addressing the Challenges of new Frontiers’ being held in Singapore next week (6-7 November) has attracted a record-breaking number of delegates from 31 countries. “We have an extremely strong programme and are delighted by the international reaction which has seen a record number of delegates – over 440 and still climbing – from more countries than ever before,” says IMCA’s Technical Director, Jane Bugler.”The proceedings will get under way on Wednesday 6 November when Massimo Fontolan of Saipem and the current IMCA President; Mrs Josephine Teo, Republic of Singapore,

Jane Bugler speaking at NUI Diving Seminar

Jane Bugler, Technical Director of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is to speak on ‘Learning from diving statistics and incident reporting – an IMCA perspective’ in the ‘Global Picture of Diving’ opening session at the Bergen International Diving Seminar 2013 being held in Bergen, Norway on 20-21 November. The seminar is organised by NUI AS in co-operation with Statoil, ExxonMobil and Gassco and is the only event of its kind in Norway. Held since 1988 it attracts delegates from all parts of the diving industry, research communities and relevant authorities from home and overseas. “Incident reporting is a key

IMCA annual seminar – all components in place

With its theme ‘Addressing the Challenges of New Frontiers’ the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Annual Seminar returns to Singapore after nine years with a programme that features keynote addresses, including one from a Senior Minister from the Republic of Singapore government; presentations, workshops and discussion. Offshore and onshore management and operational personnel from contractors, equipment suppliers, consultants, oil companies and regulators involved in marine construction and offshore operations will gather at the Shangri-La Hotel on 6 and 7 November for two highly relevant conference days, for which delegates from all over the world are currently registering. The proceedings will

ROV mobilisation revision

From award of a contract to the first in-water test of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) there are a significant number of issues that need to be addressed by both the onshore and offshore ROV teams. Each mobilisation is unique and needs to be planned in a comprehensive and structured manner. To assist in this process ‘ROV Mobilisation’ (IMCA R 009 Rev 1) published by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) considers many of these issues in a checklist format. Each ROV operator has its own management system to cover their internal requirements and the IMCA document is intended to

IMCA publishes Code of Practice for the use of High Pressure Jetting Equipment by Divers

Underwater high pressure water jetting equipment is used by fully submerged divers for cleaning, or cutting, purposes. Effective and safe operation of this equipment, and of its associated surface support equipment, is covered in the latest publication from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) – ‘Code of Practice for the use of High Pressure Jetting Equipment by Divers’. “The code of practices is also intended to apply to diver controlled jetting operations on, or near, the surface where there can be a risk, though contract with the water jet stream or flying debris, of traumatic injury to others working in

IMCA publishes guidance on the use of simulators

Simulators are used increasingly in the marine contracting industry, in particular for training and competence purposes, but also for work planning/mission planning purposes including engineering development, procedure development, technical assessments, research and asset risk assessment. The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has published a revision to ‘Guidance on the use of simulators‘ (IMCA C 014 Rev 3). “This document, originally published in 2010 and updated in August 2011 and then again in June 2012, and now once more in 2013 – proof of the increasing use of simulators in our industry – provides guidance on the use of simulators in

IMCA launches new freelance competence materials

Raising the profile of the competence of offshore personnel, and the value of company competence schemes, across the marine construction industry is one of the core activities of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Following the development of freelance materials for its Offshore Survey and Remote Systems & ROV divisions, and a revision of core Marine and Diving competence frameworks in 2012, IMCA has now launched freelance materials for its Marine and Diving divisions. This means that IMCA now offers a full suite of competence assurance frameworks tailored specifically for freelance workers. “Our message to all individual freelancers is simple,”

IMCA consultation on international offshore diving code of practice

The ‘International Code of Practice for Offshore Diving’ (IMCA D 014), published by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), provides advice on ways in which diving operations can be carried out safely and efficiently. Risk management lies at its heart as it outlines minimum requirements, creating a safe ‘level playing field’ for all diving contractors. It also recommends how clients and contractors may analyse the safety implications of commercial requirements. Updated in 2007 from the original 1998 version, the latest updated text has now been widely circulated in draft form for international input and comment before the revised and updated

August – a crucial month for vessel operators

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) enters into force on 20 August 2013; and the International Marine Contractors Association is doing all that it can to ensure that its members are fully in the picture by means of Information Notes; new information on its website; use of social media; and involvement with a key offshore support vessel (OSV) conference. The MLC will affect all companies that operate ships or employ personnel who work on board. The MLC establishes international standards for the living and working conditions of seafarers. However, the MLC defines ‘seafarer’ as ‘any person

Busy autumn ahead for IMCA's DP specialist

Providing guidance on all aspects of dynamic positioning; technical reports and annual incident reports and analysis plays an important role in the work programme of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). Speaking at conferences, communicating valuable messages that lead to ever-greater levels of efficiency and safety are also key to the association’s work. Marine Technical Adviser Ian Giddings has a busy autumn ahead of him as he will taking part in four events in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Houston; as well as being at the IMCA Annual Seminar, being held in Singapore (6-7 November), where he will be facilitating a

Updating the IMCA Diver Medic Scheme programme

Work is under way on reviewing the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA) Diver Medic Scheme which is widely used and taught by IMCA recognized schools around the world. The scheme has changed little since its development in 1999, although there have been some significant improvements in training as a result of changes in technology and recent experience in trauma medicine. In addition, the problem of skill fade amongst Diver Medics, especially with some of the more complex procedures, has become an increasing cause for concern. “Initial work on reviewing the scheme will include the establishment of a workgroup later this

ROV statistics 2012

Newly released remotely operated vehicle (ROV) statistics from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) show there has been an increase of members’ ROV-based construction, drill support and cable laying activities since IMCA started collecting figures on a worldwide basis in 2009. Additionally, cable laying activity, though a relatively minor part of members’ work overall, has more than doubled since 2009. Inspection activity has stayed on much the same level as in 2009. The 2012 world-wide ROV personnel and vehicle statistics issued by IMCA reflect personnel and vehicle levels at two specific times of the year, roughly six months apart –

Plans well advanced for IMCA's annual seminar – in Singapore this year

‘Addressing the Challenges of New Frontiers’ is the highly topical theme for the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA) Annual Seminar being held in Singapore 6-7 November 2013. The programme for the 18th seminar in the annual series is now online at legacy.imca-int.com/events/imca-annual-seminar.aspx and registration is open. Open to members and non-members alike, the seminar features keynote addresses, presentations, workshops, and discussions on diving including key developments and advances in diving equipment and operations; marine and subsea operations including DP operations; marine operations, technology and equipment; offshore surveying in remote and harsh environments; ROV and AUV resources and developments in technology.

Mooring safety poster published

A new safety poster, ‘Mooring Safety’, from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) explains graphically the hazards that can be incurred during mooring operations. Eight key messages including ‘Always look where you walk’; ‘Don’t lose your head! Beware of snap back zones’; ‘Make sure that all grating and supports are in good condition’; ‘Always wear the proper PPE’ have cartoon-style illustrations alongside the messages so they can be easily understood in any language. The twelfth in the series of safety posters, the ‘Mooring Safety’ poster is designed to complement IMCA’s existing document ‘Mooring Practice Safety Guidance’ (IMCA SEL 029 and

Guidance on Hyperbaric Evacuation Systems from IMCA

When a vessel is severely damaged there may come a time when it has to be abandoned. For such a situation vessels are required to have adequate lifeboats (or life rafts) on board for all personnel. In such an emergency, the evacuation of divers in saturation represents a particular problem as they cannot be readily decompressed in order to be evacuated in the same way as other crew members. The divers need to be transferred to a pressurised compartment which can be detached from the diving system on the vessel and launched or floated into the sea. “This means that

IMCA publishes Guidance on Occupational Health

Occupational health programmes aim to anticipate and prevent health problems caused by work. All companies should have in place appropriate arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the necessary preventive and protective measures for workers, taking into account the activities the worker will be undertaking. The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has published high level guidance on this vital issue – ‘Guidance on Occupational Health’ (IMCA SEL 033) – which provides guidance on the physical and mental condition of all people at the workplace be they employees, contractors or visitors, and their protection from harm in

Dive technician competence and training published by IMCA

Competent and well trained technicians are vital for safe offshore diving operations. Equipment used to support and conduct diving operations requires technicians for its installation, maintenance, inspection, testing and repair. The correct functioning of the equipment is essential to the well-being of the divers and other members of the dive team. Contractors who use the services of dive technicians have an obligation to ensure that personnel are correctly trained and have the required level of competence for the equipment, and in the operations they are conducting. With this in mind, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has published ‘Dive Technician

IMCA publishes Crane Specification Document

Helping to make marine contractors aware of the various options available for consideration from crane providers is one of the key intentions of the newly published ‘Crane specification document’ IMCA M 171 Rev.1 from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) The document was originally published in July 2003, and having been recently reviewed now contains updated sections on man-riding and personnel lifting, and the certification and documentation of multi-layer winches. “In IMCA M 171 we discuss the various aspects of crane design and performance in general terms,” explains IMCA’s Technical Director, Jane Bugler.”This document can equally be used by customers