Knowledge & understanding
Assessing the ability to apply relevant legal duties, operational principles, diving systems and emergency arrangements to real decisions.
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
Competence demonstrated.
Not simply declared.
ICDA is developing practical approaches to professional development and competence assessment for the commercial diving industry, with an initial focus on inland and inshore surface supplied diving supervision.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE PROGRAMME IN DEVELOPMENT
OUR APPROACH
Professional judgement is the measure.
Training matters, but completing a course is not the same as demonstrating the ability to make sound operational decisions.
Practical performance
Using structured scenarios and practical observation to assess planning, leadership, changing conditions and safety-critical judgement.
Workplace evidence
Considering authenticated records, verified experience and representative operations to support a meaningful picture of competence.
PROPOSED SUPERVISOR PATHWAY
Inland & inshore.
Surface supplied diving.
Our initial technical proposal focuses on supervisor competence for inland and inshore surface supplied commercial diving operations.
A founding draft explores admission checks, structured learning, independent assessment, workplace verification and continuing competence. The draft is being prepared for technical consultation and is not an approved or available certification scheme.
The proposed scope is specific. It would not automatically cover offshore, saturation, mixed-gas or other specialist techniques.
A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY
From learning to verified competence.
The stages below describe a working concept, not a currently available programme or guaranteed route to certification.
Eligibility & evidence
Relevant diving qualifications, operational experience and identity checks.
Learning & practice
Structured development supported by feedback and applied exercises.
Competence assessment
Knowledge, document review, decision-based scenarios and safety-critical outcomes.
Workplace verification
Authenticated operational evidence and appropriately independent review.
Ongoing competence
Proposed CPD, activity declarations and periodic reassessment.
INDEPENDENCE & LIMITATIONS
Clear boundaries.
Credible decisions.
Assessment and any future certification decision should be protected from conflicts of interest.
ICDA intends to consult on impartial assessment, separation of training and certification decisions, fair appeals and clearly defined certificate scopes. It may explore alignment with ISO/IEC 17024, but ICDA is not currently UKAS-accredited and does not issue supervisor certificates.
Any future ICDA credential would not constitute HSE approval or replace a diving contractor’s duty to assess competence and make a suitable, operation-specific supervisor appointment.
HELP SHAPE THE PROGRAMME
Practical input makes better standards.
We welcome early engagement from working supervisors, divers, diving contractors, clients and technical specialists. Training enrolment and certification applications are not yet open.