Personnel Qualifications, Training Records, and Credentialing
Qualification is not the same as certification
The exam tests verification before assignment. A certificate card is evidence of training; qualification also requires current medical fitness, logged experience for the task, and employer authorization. Records must show the qualification was checked before the diver was assigned, not after.
Records that matter
- Commercial diver training certificate from a recognized school, with scope and date.
- Medical examination by a physician trained in diving medicine, with restrictions and expiry.
- Dive log showing depth, time, breathing apparatus, and tasks relevant to the assignment.
- Supervisor qualification and evidence of supervisory experience.
- Current first aid, CPR, oxygen administration, and chamber orientation where required.
- Equipment-specific and site-specific authorization.
Track expiry dates in one register and remove lapsed personnel from the dive roster until reinstated. Copies are acceptable only if legible and verified against the source.
Worked example
A diver's certification card expired three months ago. The logbook shows 40 dives in the past year, and the medical certificate is dated thirteen months earlier. The employer has no copies on file. Reasoning: certification currency is unverified, medical currency is unverified, and the employer cannot demonstrate qualification. Logged dives do not substitute for a current certificate or medical clearance. The diver is removed from the roster pending verified documents and a current medical examination.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing a training card with task qualification.
- Accepting an expired medical because the diver appears fit.
- Relying on the diver's own log without employer verification.
- Missing restrictions on a medical certificate.
- Failing to track refresher and expiry dates.