The Health and Safety Executive has responsibility for enforcing the Diving at Work Regulations 1997, which apply to all diving carried out in Great Britain where at least one person who is taking part is at work. These regulations specify the requirement for divers to hold an approved qualification for the type of diving that is being conducted.

The regulations are supported by 5 Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) which cover different dive industry sectors. The ACOPs were reviewed and revised in 2014 in consultation with the diving industry. The Commercial Diving Projects Offshore ACOP applies to all work associated with the oil and gas industry and some parts of the wind industry. The Commercial Diving Projects Inland/Inshore ACOP applies to all work in the wind sector that doesn’t fall under the Commercial Diving Projects Offshore ACOP.

Diving qualifications are transferable between sectors if the type of diving being undertaken in the particular sector is covered by the diving qualification held. A diver with a qualification appropriate for working in the offshore oil and gas industry would be able to work in the offshore wind industry. However, a diver holding a qualification for certain work in the wind industry may find that they need extra training before they can work in the offshore oil and gas industry. This is due to the different types of diving techniques used.

For further information on diving, please see HSE’s website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/index.htm.