International Diving Industry Forum Established

The International Diving Industry Forum (IDIF) has been established to reduce and control the risks associated with energy industry diving operations carried out anywhere in the world.

The IDIF was established by three industry stakeholders, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI), and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP).

The Forum will bring leading industry stakeholders together in a collaborative, constructive effort to promote international energy industry diving safety and provide a specialist forum for discussions, sharing ideas and experiences, and for targeting themes for improving diving safety.

The IDIF will also facilitate effective communications between the diving industry stakeholders and support and promote the leading industry associations in their efforts to develop and maintain appropriate international guidelines for the safe conduct of energy industry diving operations.

Furthermore, it will support the industry associations in their efforts to develop and maintain a standardized approach to the safe conduct of energy industry diving operations and facilitate ongoing improvement in international energy industry diving safety.

IMCA’s diving manager Bryan McGlinchy said: “This is the first time that a balanced cross-industry forum has been specifically set up to work collaboratively on energy industry diving safety issues.

“The aim is for the Forum to identify noteworthy problems and produce solutions that are fully endorsed by all three leading trade associations. 

“I am convinced the Forum will achieve great things and I am very excited about the prospect of working closely on important diving safety issues with such a wide range of deeply knowledgeable and experienced industry colleagues.”

A 10-member Working Committee will manage the affairs of the Forum.  The Working Committee chairman will be the chairman of the IOGP Diving Operations Safety Committee (DOSC), whilst the office of Working Committee vice-chairman will alternate, by agreement, between the chairman of the IMCA Diving Division Management Committee (DDMC) and a Working Committee representative of the ADCI.

The inaugural meeting of the International Diving Industry Forum took place recently in New Orleans, USA. It was agreed that the first tasks for the Forum would be to help prepare definitive industry guidance on ship husbandry and assist with the revision of the IMO Diving Instruments.