HSE SCUBA TRAINING PROGRAM

DV Diving offers the HSE SCUBA qualification through a modular training program. A combination of prescribed modules form our Commercial SCUBA course. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have inspected and approved the training and assessment given during this course and upon successful completion of the required modules, students will be issued, by the HSE, with a HSE SCUBA diver qualification.

The HSE SCUBA diving certificate is an Approved Diving Qualification under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (DWR). The possession of an Approved Diving Qualification is a legal requirement in the UK to undertake any commercial diving activity. In particular HSE SCUBA satisfies the requirement of the Media, Shellfish, Scientific and Archaeological and Inland/Inshore Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP).

No previous diving qualification or experience is required to undertake the full HSE SCUBA course. However, the modular format of the course can give credit for recreational diver qualifications already achieved. This is known as Prior Learning and Competence Assessment (PLCA). Your current recreational certification is assessed against the required diver competence at that level. The higher the level of recreational certification, the less training is required. You will however be required to demonstrate current competence in the skills appropriate to the level of certification you currently hold. If competence is not demonstrated you would be required to undertake additional training and assessment before proceeding with the next module on the HSE SCUBA course. This is particularly relevant where there has been a period of diving inactivity.

DV Diving's Training Programme

PREREQUISITES
Before starting the HSE SCUBA Training Programme students must hold a valid HSE certificate of Medical Fitness to Dive. This must be valid for the duration of the course. Students undertaking HSE SCUBA training must organise their own diving medical. This must be carried out by a HSE approved Medical examiner. You should undertake the medical well in advance of the start date of any course. This medical typically costs between £140 and £180. A current list of approved medical examiners of divers may be obtained from either the HSE or DV Diving.

The HSE First Aid at Work (FAW) and O2 Admin can be provided by DV Diving or they may be attained through any other approved training organisation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PRIOR TRAINING
The following table lists the qualifications of the major recreational diving agencies. Your current diving qualification will determine your entry level into the HSE scuba course.

When recreational qualifications are to be used as evidence of prior training, proof of certification is required. This will normally be in the form of certification cards and/or logbooks. Prior learning will exempt you from some training sections of the program. However, all students must pass the required competencies at each stage. This results in four entry levels to the program:

No previous qualification
You are required to complete all training and assessments on each required module.

Level 2
PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent):
You are required to pass Open Water skills assessments then complete all training and assessments on subsequent modules.

Level 3
PADI Advanced Diver (or equivalent):
You are required to pass Open Water and Advanced skills assessments then complete all training and assessments on subsequent modules.

Level 4
PADI Rescue Diver or Higher (or equivalent):
You are required to pass the Open Water, Advanced and Rescue skills assessments then complete all training and assessments on subsequent modules.

COURSE COSTS
The overall cost of training will depend upon the entry level of the student and any optional modules chosen. Deductions are applied to the course fee for qualifications already held by the applicant.

Invoices will be issued prior to the start of the course. A deposit of 50% is payable on booking to confirm your place. Invoices for the outstanding course fees are issued 60 days before the start date. Cancellation for whatever reason within 60 days of the start date will result in the loss of 50% of the deposit paid. The course deposit is not refundable if cancellation is received less than 30 days before the start date, it may at our descretion be transfered to a future course date.

The table below shows the duration and the cost of each module if taken individually and the credit to be deducted from the full course fee if the qualification is already held. In total the full HSE SCUBA course consists of 5 weeks of training and assessment and costs £3,165.00. A discount may be applied when 4 or more students book and complete the full training course together.

HSE SCUBA Course Content information

Theory Syllabus
There are three multiple choice question papers that make up the theory assessment. The papers cover Diving at Work, SCUBA Diving and USN decompression Tables. Students will attend a comprehensive series of lectures and tutorials to cover material in the following areas. It may be helpful for students to review the course notes prior to attendance, especially when their first language is not English.

Diving at Work
Diving Project Plans & Risk Assessments.
Physics (gas laws, air & water characteristics)
Diving injuries & illness (barotrauma, decompression sickness, gas toxicity)
Basic Physiology
Communications (acoustic & hard-wire voice communications, rope signals, hand signals)
Equipment (air purity tests, compressors, filters, cylinders, regulators, nitrox etc)
Health & Safety at Work (employer/ee requirements)
Diving at Work Regulations 1997, Codes of Practice & other relevant legislation (responsibilities of supervisors, divers and others, equipment testing, British Standards, HSE, DMAC, IMCA etc)
Underwater Work, high-risk environments, inspection, searches, lifting and survey techniques.
Diving procedures and their implementation.

Scuba Diving Theory
Scuba equipment (design, manufacture, function, care, pre-dive checks, faults, maintenance and testing)
Scuba techniques (equipment configurations, air consumption, entry/exit to water, navigation, standby divers (on-surface & in-water), decompression stops, emergency procedures)
Recompression chambers (basic design, operation, checks etc). Includes a chamber dive to 40m.

Decompression Tables
Decompression theory
Types and use of tables including calculation of dive schedules, planning and decompression.
Dive computers

Practical

The practical schedule is arranged so that students will initially receive training prior to repeating the tasks under more formal assessment. The assessments are competence based. This means that a student is required to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance of all skills and abilities. Certain skills are required to be performed a number of times during the duration of the course. Some of the most important attributes required for successful completion of the course are a good professional attitude and teamwork abilities. Students will receive continual feedback on their performance through post dive de-briefs and periodic informal individual progress reviews.

As a guide to the scope of activities that will be covered throughout the course, listed below are some of the categories of competence.

Check and prepare equipment for a SCUBA diving operation
Dress correctly ready for entering the water for a SCUBA diving operation
Assist another diver to dress correctly ready for entering the water for a SCUBA diving operation
Assist the Supervisor in the preparation of a work plan for a SCUBA diving operation
Have knowledge of the pre-dive procedures for a two compartment compression chamber
Dive in open water to a maximum depth of 30m using SCUBA diving equipment
Particular operational techniques used for prevailing conditions.
Use a variety of SCUBA equipment configurations used commercially, including:
Half mask and mouthpiece
Ocean Reef Full Face Mask
Poseidon Full Face Mask
AGA Full Face mask (positive pressure)
Dry suit with suit inflation.
Dry suit with suit inflation and buoyancy compensator.
Hard wire voice communications system
Through water voice communications system
Use SMB's DSMB's and lifelines
Independent twin cylinder air supply systems or manifolded air supply systems
Reduced visibility- less than 0.5 m
Different bottom types: shingle/sand/mud
Mid water in moderate currents (approx. 0.5 knots)
Night dives
Approximately 40 dives will be undertaken on the full SCUBA module to a maximum depth of 30m.
Use decompression procedures
Act as a diver's tender in a SCUBA diving operation
Undertake a compression chamber dive to 40 metres (when possible)
Functions and procedures for operating a multiplace recompression chamber
Functions and procedures for acting as an attendant inside a multiplace recompression chamber
Use, inspect and maintain compressors and air purity analysis
Knowledge of the conduct of a therapeutic recompression
Undress correctly on completion of a SCUBA diving operation
Assist another diver to undress correctly on completion of a SCUBA diving operation
Carry out post dive equipment checks.
Decontaminate and clean equipment
Ensure proper care and storage of equipment
Have knowledge of the post dive compression chamber checks and user maintenance
Conform to statutory requirements.
Conform to general requirements.
Maintain health and safety of individuals and others.
Assess and establish the need of a diving casualty.
Give first aid and take emergency actions.
Assist in treatment of diving related ill health condition/ illness.
Establish and maintain effective work relationships with dive team.
Contribute to effective teamwork.

Tutorials and lectures will be undertaken to cover aspects of commercial of SCUBA not already covered during recreational training. These will include topics such as equipment configuration, maintenance and recompression chamber operations

The practical training includes commercial equipment familiarisation and operation through a wide range of underwater tasks, providing students with experience in working underwater, under a range of conditions. These tasks may include seabed survey exercises that incorporate voice communications, rope signals, lifting operations, photography and video. Training may also include a dry dive to 50m in a recompression chamber. The practical component of the course is continually assessed through competence assessment. To successfully complete the SCUBA course, students must demonstrate an acceptable level of competence and must be able to work efficiently, safely and as a team member.