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ADAS Policy on recognition of prior learning.

ADAS accepts that there are many competent divers out in the workforce who are not ADAS certified and functioning quite happily, thank you very much.

Those divers, for whatever reason (eg., to comply with the law regarding construction diving, to improve their employment chances, etc) may at some point decide that they want an ADAS certificate.

These divers may have been diving for years and have hundreds of dives under their belt and maybe thousands of hours in the water. What is the ADAS policy in regard to issuing these divers an ADAS certificate?

Well, ADAS has a simple but strict policy on such matters:

• ALL divers applying for ADAS certification MUST undertake a full practical and theory assessment of their skills and knowledge against the nominated ADAS Diver Competency Standards for that ADAS qualification!
  

• The only exception to this rule is for those divers crossing-over from an organisation with whom ADAS has a formal reciprocal recognition agreement  ( eg., the UK Health and Safety Executive, the Dover Certification Board of Canada, etc)

The reasons for this policy are as follows:

• ADAS has, in company with its national industry advisors and its international partner certification organisations, put together a highly developed set of Diver Competence Standards. These standards cover all aspects of diver safety and basic procedures for each level of certification. ADAS is committed, through its agreements with its partners, to ensuring that each and every diver who receives an ADAS certificate has been assessed against those standards - whether by ADAS or one of its international partners.
  
  
• There are a range of procedures in use throughout the industry, some good, some bad, some just different. ADAS is totally committed to ensuring that its standards are set at the level of world best practice and to continuously reviewing and improving those standards wherever possible.
  
  
• With 13 diver training establishments accredited to train ADAS divers, ADAS has developed a strict set of standard procedures which the DTEs must use to ensure consistency across the range of those schools. Every ADAS certified should have the same set of base skills and knowledge. This is particularly important in the area of stand-by diver drills, diver rescue and accident and emergency management.ADAS needs to ensure, for quality control, standardisation and liability reasons, that every diver that possesses an ADAS certificate has been assessed against this range of skills and knowledge.

Procedures for RPL

Because of the obvious potential for inconsistency across the various ADAS diver training establishments and for rorting the system, ADAS DTEs are required to comply with strict procedures in regard to the conditions and the standards under which RPL may be administered.  The following information forms the basis for the procedures that DTEs are bound to follow.

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Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

1.1.1 Claiming credit for previous experience

1.1.1.1 Divers who can establish comprehensive relevant theoretical knowledge and occupational diving experience gained in on-the-job situations and who have formal logbook evidence of such experience as discussed below, may claim up to a maximum of two weeks’ credit towards the normal at-level training programs as detailed below.

1.1.1.2 This maximum period of credit is based on the assessment by ADAS that divers who have not undertaken formal diving training will not have been exposed to the required standard of training in safety-critical activities such as emergency procedures, rescues and risk assessment, and to the professional standard of teamwork expected of ADAS certified divers. The latter competency in particular cannot be adequately assessed in the limited time and opportunity afforded by an assessment-only procedure.

1.1.1.3 Information on the ADAS procedures for persons wishing to apply for ADAS certification under the Recognition of Formal Training provisions can be gained by inquiring from ADAS.

1.1.2 Prerequisites for RPL

1.1.2.1 Before accepting trainees for training and assessment, the DTE is responsible for ensuring that the candidates:

a) meet the required prerequisites regarding medical and physical fitness, age and maturity and academic ability

b) have certified formal logbook evidence of at least double the number of dives and bottom time required at the relevant levels. In the case of applicants who do not satisfy the requirement for time at relevant levels but who have extensive workplace experience, DTEs may seek exemption from this aspect from the Executive Director ADAS

c) have achieved recreational Divemaster or Instructor qualifications from either PADI, NASDS, SSI or NAUI or from an ADAS-approved equivalent.

1.1.2.2 Trainees who have achieved recreational Divemaster/Dive Coordinator qualifications from either PADI, NASDS, SSI or NAUI or from an ADAS-approved equivalent can claim up to one week’s credit on an ADAS Part 1 course only.

1.1.2.3 Trainees who have achieved recreational Instructor qualifications from either PADI, NASDS, SSI or NAUI or from an ADAS-approved equivalent can claim up to 1 week credit on an ADAS Part 1 course. Where the trainee can demonstrate exceptional experience and qualifications as a recreational instructor up to 2 weeks credit can be sought, subject to prior approval being gained from the Executive Director ADAS.

1.1.2.4 Required diving experience for RPL

1.1.2.5 The following table details the number of dives and bottom time(in minutes) required at the relevant levels to qualify for an RPL.

Required dives and times

1.1.2.6 It is important to note that the times listed for the Part 3 RPL must have been undertaken in an off-shore environment.

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1.1.3 Eligible experience for RPL

1.1.3.1 Experience submitted in support of RPL claims must be in the form of logged dives, with original logbooks submitted. Each entry must have been signed by the candidate, countersigned by the dive supervisor and verified with a contractors stamp. If it is difficult for original logbooks to be sent, candidates may send photocopies, but the originals must be produced to the DTE before the RPL takes place.

1.1.3.2 The experience must be occupational employment.

1.1.3.3 To expedite the assessment and monitoring processes, candidates are to compile a summary of their dives for submission with their logbooks.

1.1.3.4 In cases where a candidate has not kept a logbook, they cannot be considered for assessment using letters of reference from past employers alone. If they are able to produce records of dives from:

(a) company dive records

(b) computer logs signed, dated and stamped by the employer/supervisor.

these are to be approved by the Executive Director ADAS before they are accepted for the assessment.

1.1.3.5 In all cases, the candidate for RPL assessment must complete and sign the relevant ADAS statutory declaration which certifies their claim to this experience (at the level of qualification for which they are applying) before the assessment begins.

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1.1.4 Ineligible experience for RPL

1.1.4.1 Ineligible experience includes:

(a) recreational dives

(b) dives undertaken as recreational diving instructors

(c) dives undertaken in a training context (unless armed forces training for operational warfare).

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1.1.5 RPL process

1.1.5.1 A comprehensive desktop assessment is to be undertaken of each candidate’s current theory and practical competencies against the ADAS diver Competency Standards to gauge their level of theory knowledge and practical ability.

1.1.5.2 The DTE is to establish that candidates possess a strong claim to any of the practical diving competencies as identified in the ADAS Diver Competency Standards. The DTE is to identify those competencies that can be justifiably claimed and those for which the diver is deficient.

1.1.5.3 The candidate is then to:

(a) undertake theory and practical training in all areas identified as deficient

(b) undertake formal assessment of all ADAS competencies.

1.1.5.4 The theory assessment is to cover the full scope of ADAS theory competencies, including physics, physiology, anatomy, diving medicine, OH&S legislation, standards, regulations, ADAS diver requirements, knots, CPR, resuscitation/O₂ management, search patterns, equipment theory including compressors and chambers, records, logbooks, communications, tool safety, DCIEM tables, risk assessment, and those competencies specific to the relevant level.

1.1.5.5 A pass mark of 70% must be achieved with all ‘no fail’ theory areas passed in full.

1.1.5.6 RPL formal practical assessment

1.1.5.7 The follow assessment dives, which represent a summary of the assessment dives for a full Part 1, 2 and 3 course, must be completed by the RPLcandidate. These are the minimum dives that must be completed, and do not include training dives that are to be undertaken to address practical deficiencies or dives to repeat an unsuccessful assessment.

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1.1.5.8 The table below shows the minimum assessment dives for a Part 1 RPL

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1.1.5.9 The table below shows the minimum assessment dives for a Part 2 RPL

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1.1.5.10 The table below shows the minimum assessment dives for a Part 3 RPL

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1.1.6 RPL records to be retained

1.1.6.1 All records, including copies of relevant dive log entries, summaries of log entries, originals of all exam papers, the assessment of prerequisite practical competencies and of all competency assessments undertaken, are to be maintained for 30 years.

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1.1.7 Part 4 RPL candidates

1.1.7.1 Sufficient experience for Part 4 is as follows:

(a) candidates must have been employed in commercial bell diving operations

(b) bell diving experience can only be considered if the candidate holds a Part 3 certificate, and has one year of diving experience breathing air or gas mixtures to a maximum depth of 50 metres. This must include 50 hours bottom time, with 10 hours of that time at depths greater than 20 metres, including 6 hours at depths greater than 30 metres

(c) the logged record of bell diving operations must include the following dives:

(i) 48 lock outs from a bell of which at least 20 should be working dives below 50 metres, during which a commercial task was carried out. One lock out only is permitted in any one bell run

(ii) 10 simulated rescues of an unconscious diver

(iii) 3 bell bounce dives to depths of 50 metres, 75 metres and 100 metres each, or where the candidate has saturation experience to at least 100 metres they should have logged 3 bounce dives in excess of 55 metres.

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1.1.8 Recognition of formal training (RFT)

1.1.8.1 DTEs may apply to the Executive Director ADAS to by-pass the RPL training requirement and undertake a full competency assessment of a diver who has:

(a) qualified at a course of formal training equivalent to that of the relevant ADAS Part(s) conducted by a diver training organisation not formally recognised by ADAS. Proof of such qualification must be established by certified documentary evidence

(b) certified formal logbook evidence of at least double the number of dives and bottom time required at the relevant levels.

1.1.8.2 Once approved by the Executive Director ADAS, every applicant is to undertake a comprehensive theory competency assessment at the beginning of the assessment process to gauge the level of theory knowledge.

1.1.8.3 This theory assessment is to cover the full scope of ADAS theory competencies, including physics, physiology, anatomy, diving medicine, OH&S legislation, standards, regulations, ADAS diver requirements, knots, CPR, resuscitation/O₂ management, search patterns, equipment theory including compressors and chambers, records, logbooks, communications, tool safety, DCIEM tables, hazard analysis, and those competencies specific to the relevant level.

1.1.8.4 If a pass mark of 70% is achieved with ‘no fail’ areas passed in full, the applicant can be allowed to complete the practical competency assessment.

1.1.8.5 The practical competency assessment is completed by undertaking each of the assessment dives for a full Part 1, 2 and 3 course.

1.1.8.6 Full records must be retained.

1.1.9 Recognition of prior learning—exceptional circumstances (RPL-EC)

1.1.9.1 DTEs may apply to the Executive Director ADAS to gain ADAS qualifications on behalf of candidates with exceptional professional credentials not formally recognised by ADAS, but with proven quality formal training and with documented high standards of experience gained over many years within the international diving industry.

1.1.9.2 Before making application to the Executive Director ADAS, DTEs are to ensure that the candidate has:

(a) met the standard ADAS prerequisites in accordance with Subsection 5.2.2

(b) qualified at a course of formal training equivalent to that of one or more of the relevant ADAS Parts conducted by a diver training organisation not formally recognised by ADAS. Proof of such qualification must be established by certified documentary evidence

(c) a certified formal logbook evidence of at least double the number of dives and bottom time required at the relevant levels

(d) documentary evidence of an exceptional level of diving experience over a number of years in the international offshore industry.

1.1.9.3 Applications to the Executive Director ADAS by the DTEs are to include:

(a) certified evidence of prerequisites

(b) certified evidence of formal training

(c) certified evidence of dives and dive times

(d) certified evidence of industry experience

(e) a comprehensive desktop assessment of their current theory and practical competencies against the ADAS diver Competency Standards to gauge the level of theory knowledge and practical ability

(f) an assessment program specific to the candidate which confirms any theory an/or practical competencies not clearly assessed in (e) above.

1.1.9.4 Applications must be made at least one month prior to the proposed assessment and will attract an A$200.00 processing fee additional to the normal ADAS certification fee.

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