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ADAS Qualifications

Overview of ADAS Qualifications

Parts 1-2-3-4 Scientific and Restricted Certifications Supervisors Dive Project Management Aquaculture DMT LST  ROV ADS  Chamber Operator

Training Programs

ADAS training programs are designed specifically to conform to the requirements of national and international regulatory and industry requirements.

The knowledge, skills and abilities that form the framework for the various levels of ADAS qualifications are agreed to by the mainstream international certification authorities.

The ADAS qualifications are underwritten by national standards particularly the Australian Standard AS 2815 Training and Certification of Occupational Divers in its various Parts.

This Standard was developed by the SF/17 Diving Committee of Standards Australia in conjunction with ADAS and overseas diver training authorities to define the minimum acceptable competencies required to meet international industry and regulatory requirements for the various levels of occupational divers and related hyperbaric specialisations.

Standards are developed by expert industry committees to ensure that the training and assessment courses that they define are fit-for-purpose and meet the various industry sector needs. They are revised at 5 yearly intervals.

ADAS is committed to conducting its training to at least the level defined in the relevant standards and often exceeds the requirements of the Standards to ensure that ADAS divers are receiving training that takes into account new developments in vocational education and industry practices.

Australian Standard AS 2815
AS 2815 is currently in five parts. Other national Standards are being developed to underpin new industry needs.

Part 1: AS 2815.1

This Part addresses the training activities and competencies required for the training and certification of air divers who are required to work safely and competently:

• using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), is for no-decompression diving only and covers the use of hand tools underwater to depths of 30 metres in accordance with AS/NZ 2299.

Divers with this level of certification may, for example, work in the scientific, fishing, marine archaeology, engineering inspection fields.

Note: ADAS Part 1 is equivalent to HSE Part IV.

Part 1 Course Outline

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Part 2: AS 2815.2

This Part continues on from the Part 1 qualification and addresses the training activities and competencies required for the training and certification of air divers who are required to work safely and competently:

• using surface-supplied underwater breathing apparatus (SSBA) to depths of 30 metres;
• on sites where no surface compression chambers are required by AS/NZ 2299 to be present on site.

This is the minimum level of training required to work as a construction diver. Training in the use of powered tools, cutting and welding, underwater construction and underwater explosives equips the diver with the basic skills necessary to work safely underwater.

Note: ADAS Part 2 is equivalent to HSE Part III.

Part 2 Course Outline

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Part 3: AS 2815.3

This Part continues on from the Part 2 qualification and addresses the training activities and competencies required for the training and accreditation of air divers who are required to work safely and competently:

• using surface-supplied underwater breathing apparatus (SSBA) to depths of 50 metres; and
• on sites with surface compression chambers in conformance with the requirements of AS/NZS 2299.1.

Divers wishing to work offshore in the oil and gas industry must be accredited to Part 3 as a minimum.

Note: ADAS Part 3 is equivalent to HSE Part I.

Part 3 Course Outline

Also see Offshore Construction - Air Diving

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Part 4: AS 2815.4

This Part addresses the training activities and competencies required for the training and certification of experienced air divers to work safely and competently as bellmen and lockout divers. This level of certification covers diving to any depth using the full range of breathing apparatus, including saturation diving.

It can only be undertaken after a minimum of 12 months stipulated experience as a Part 3 diver.

Note: ADAS Part 4 is equivalent to HSE Part II.

Part 4 Course Outline

Also see: Diving Careers - Offshore Construction - Bell Diving

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Restricted Certification

Restricted certification for Parts 1, 2 and 3 is available to those divers whose diving duties require only limited use of plant, tools and equipment. A diver may obtain a restricted certification by completing only the modules relevant to his/her desired work (e.g. for a construction diver, by deleting the four modules which cover underwater construction techniques and equipment; use of powered tools, cutting and welding; underwater construction and underwater explosives.)

A restricted diver may later upgrade to full certification by completing the outstanding modules as specified in the Standard.

Part 1 Restricted (Scientific) Course Outline

Part 2 Restricted Course Outline

Part 3 Restricted Course Outline

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Supervisors

Onshore Supervisor (AS2815.5)

This Part addresses the training activities and competencies required for the training and certification of experienced air divers to undertake the supervision of onshore occupational diving activities at the level at which they meet the specified diving and diving work requirements. Depending on the level of their demonstrated experience, divers can seek certification as:

• Onshore Supervisor - Occupational SCUBA Diving to 30 metres;
• Onshore Supervisor - SSBA to 30 metres;
• Onshore Supervisor - SSBA to 50 metres;;
• Onshore Supervisor - SSBA mixed gas;
• Onshore Supervisor - Aquaculture.

These ADAS certificates meet the requirements of the AS/NZ Standard 2299.1Operational Diving Operations Part 1: Standard Operational Practice and the various Australian state and territory and New Zealand occupational health and safety regulatory requirements.

Also see: Diving Careers - Supervisor Overview

Onshore Supervisors Course Outline

Offshore Supervisor (No Australian Standard at this time)

These qualifications address the training activities and competencies required for the training and certification of experienced offshore air or air/bell divers to undertake the supervision of offshore occupational diving activities at the level at which they meet the specified offshore diving and diving work requirements. Depending on the level of their demonstrated offshore experience, divers can seek certification as:

• Offshore Air Diving Supervisor;
• Offshore Air and Bell Diving Supervisor.

These ADAS certificates meet the requirements of the Australian Offshore Petroleum Act and regulations, the Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA), the New Zealand Department of Labour (NZDOL), the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), the US Coast Guard (USCC), the International Maritime Contractors Association (IMCA), the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP), the US Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI), the Divers Certification Board of Canada (DCBC) and the Netherlands Diving Commission (NDC).

Also see: Diving Careers - Supervisor Overview

Trainee Offshore Supervisor Course Outline

Offshore Air Supervisor

Offshore Air and Bell Supervisor

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Atmospheric Diving System (ADS)

The Atmospheric Diving System (ADS) training course is intended to train pilots in the safe operation and maintenance of the ADS and to provide a sufficient amount of experience and knowledge to qualify the pilot to undertake field operations.

The program provides a safe and supervised environment where pilots can be directed and corrected in technique and understanding. The duration of the course allows students to identify individual constraints in operating the suit and develop personalised corrective action. During the course, structures and framework will be added to simulate the real working environment. In training course specific to a job, training will simulate the real tasks that will be encountered during operations.

See ADAS Atmospheric Diving System Course

Also see: Diving Careers - Atmospheric Dive System

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Dive Project Management - Advanced Diploma

The course is for working divers and supervisors or people involved in supporting dive projects in a dive organisation. It will provide people with business and project management skills and would be particularly relevant to any divers starting or managing their own business and to people working within the diving division of a larger organisation. It will:

• Further develop and/or polish your professional leadership and management abilities;
• Provide ‘hard’ advanced project-management skills including man-hour and cost estimating, preparing tender documents, project implementation and reporting, managing client relationships and personnel;
• Develop your risk management skills in relation to overall sustainable organisational development and project-based risk;
• Develop your customer service awareness and skills to ensure ongoing client satisfaction and increase the probability of repeat business.

See ADAS Advanced Diploma Course

Also see Diving Careers - Dive Project Manager

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Aquaculture SSBA Diver to 30 Metres

The Aquaculture SSBA Diver to 30 metre course has been requested by the Australian seafood industry for the Tuna farming industry in South Australia to meet its legislative requirement for ADAS training for tuna farming diving operations. It is also used to meet the legislative need for accredited diver training for the Salmon farming industry in Tasmania. It also meets the needs of accredited training for the Queensland aquaculture industry, in particular the beche-de-mer and crayfishing sectors in the Torres Strait.

The emphasis of the course is to train recreational scuba divers to working safely and effectively as members of a diving team, on surface supply using modern full-face masks and with effective communications, to successfully achieve a variety of light work tasks required by seafood divers.

The Aquaculture course is of a minimum duration of 4 weeks (that is, a minimum of 20 days over a 26-day period).The theory component of the course is that of the ADAS Part 1 course combined with the SSBA equipment theory from the Part 2 course. The practical competencies are the surface supply practical competencies from the Part 2 (Restricted) course.

The course emphasises the safety and efficiency advantages of full-face masks, surface supply and underwater communications when performing work tasks.

See ADAS Aquaculture Course SSBA Diver to 30 Metres

Also see: Diving Careers - Aquaculture

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Diver Medical Technician (DMT)

When working offshore, all divers will have been trained in first aid. However, there is a requirement for a member of the dive team who is not diving, other than the supervisor, to be trained in advanced first aid – generally referred to as a “diver medic” or “diver medical technician” (DMT) .

The aim of the course is to ensure the DMT is:

• capable of administering First Aid and emergency treatment and of carrying out the directions of a doctor pending the arrival of more skilled medical aid;
• capable of communicating understandably by telephone, radio or facsimile with the doctor;
• familiar with diving procedures and compression chamber operation, and
• able to assist the diving supervisor with decompression procedures and advising when medical help should be sought.

DMT Course Outline

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Life Support Technician (LST)

See ADAS Life Support Technician Course

Also see: Diving Careers - Life Support Technician

Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)

See ADAS Remotely Operated Vehicle Course

Also see Diving Careers - ROV Pilot

Also see related pages to ADAS Qualifications

Why an ADAS Qualification?

Diving Careers

Chamber Operator

The Chamber Operator course is a stand-alone program for divers or non-divers. However, it is normally incorporated in the SSBA Diver to 50 metre course. The program includes the operation and maintenance of decompression chambers.

Chamber Operator Course Outline

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