Knowledge of Legislation is an essential part of passing any Supervisor Exam.

We aim do everything we can to assist students with passing the eventual Exam.

Study Guide

In preparation for the exam, in addition to IMCA D 022, it is essential that candidates for the ADS exam have a sound working knowledge of all IMCA and DMAC guidance,

Please pay particular attention to:

• IMCA D022-ver2 2016 DIVE SUPERVISORS MANUAL.
• HSE ACoP 1997
• IMCA D014 IMCA
• Norsok U100 Rev 5

Remember. Most legislation exams are structured around Approved Code op Practices. Therefore you knowledge of the HSE ACoP & IMCA D014 should be comprehensive. 

IMCA have published a study guide for the DBS exam. The is VERY useful in preparation for the eventual Exam: (click link)  IMCA-Bell Supervisor Exam Information Note-1578

In particular the following documents:

• Guidelines for oxy-arc cutting  IMCA D003
• Diving operations in the vicinity of pipelines  IMCA D006
• IMCA D010 Diving Operations from DP vessels
• IMCA international code of practice for offshore diving   IMCA D014 Rev-2.1
• IMCA D016 -Guidance on open parachute type underwater air lift bags
• IMCA D017 Lost Bell Survival
• Diving in contaminated waters   IMCA D021
• IMCA-D-023-Diving Equipment Systems Inspection for surface orientated (air) diving systems
• IMCA D024 DESIGN for saturation (bell) diving systems
• Installation based diving operations and the evacuation of divers from installations   IMCA D025
• Guidance on the use of chain lever hoists in the offshore subsea environment   IMCA D028
• DESIGN for surface supplied mixed gas diving operations   IMCA D030
• Cross-hauling of bells (IMCA D 032)
•   Norway/UK regulatory guidance on offshore diving (NURGOD)   IMCA D034
• IMCA D036 Neurological Assessment of a Diver
• DESIGN for mobile/portable surface supplied systems   IMCA D040
• IMCA D037 DESIGN for Surface Supplied Mixed Gas Diving Systems
• IMCA D041 Battery Operated Equipment in Hyperbaric Conditions
• Diver and ROV based concrete mattress handling, deployment, installation, repositioning and decommissioning   IMCA D042
• Code of practice for the safe use of electricity under water   IMCA D045
• IMCA D048. Guidance on surface supplied diving operations using nitrox
• IMCA D052 Hyperbaric Evacuation Systems
• Remotely operated vehicle intervention during diving operations   IMCA D054
• Diver attachment to structures by means of a weak link   IMCA D 058 Rev.1
• Guidelines for lifting operations IMCA D 060
• Guidance on health, fitness and medical issues in diving operations   IMCA D061
• IMCA M103 Guidelines for the design and operation of dynamically positioned vessels
• DMAC 001 Aide Mémoire for Recording and Transmission of Medical Data
• DMAC 007 Recommendations for Flying After Diving
• Safe diving distance from seismic surveying operations  DMAC012
• DMAC 15. Medical Equipment to be Held at the Site of an Offshore Diving Operation
• DMAC 022 Proximity to a Recompression Chamber after Surfacing
• Saturation diving chamber hygiene DMAC 26
• Provision of emergency medical care for divers in saturation DMAC 28

Other relevant information

All published IMCA videos are available to stream online and it would be helpful for ADS candidates to review all relevant IMCA videos as part of their preparation for the IMCA examination. A link to the IMCA videos is shown below: 

• https://www.youtube.com/user/IMCAint/videos.
• Candidates should also be familiar with the latest revision of the US Navy Diving Manual, Volume 3, Section 13 Saturation Diving together with the use of Saturation Decompression Tables and Emergency Decompression; US NAVY Diving Manual rev 7

Legislation

Candidates who wish to sit the optional legislation modules should be familiar with the following:

The list of approved diving qualifications for offshore diving; https://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/qualifications/approved-list.pdf

UK legislation – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR 2013)(see INDG 453 https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg453.pdf)

HSE Commercial Diving Projects Offshore Approved Code of Practice L103(https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l103.htm)

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974: Sections 2-9 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/pdfs/ukpga_19740037_en.pdfHSE documents are available as free downloads at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/index-catalogue.htm#