IMCA documentation

IMCA distributes a variety of information to its members, amounting to a large quantity of documentation on numerous topics. The purpose of this note is threefold:

1. to advise of a change to mailing options requested by the Overall Management Committee (OMC) at its recent meeting;
2. to advise of changes to the format of documents distributed by e-mail;
3. to explain to new members or new IMCA points of contact, for the sake of good order, the different types of IMCA documents distributed to members.

1 Electronic distribution of documents

IMCA has provided e-mail versions of information notes to those members who have requested such since April 2000 and of minutes since February 2001.
Uptake has been good, with members who received documentation by e-mail noting the speed with which they receive documents and the ease with which they can distribute them to appropriate colleagues.

With an increasing proportion of members now only receiving their IMCA documents (other than major printed guidance publications) by e-mail, the growth in cost involved in mailings has been small, despite the recent and ongoing increase in membership and greater output from IMCA generally. However, the OMC has asked that IMCA moves to distributing only by e-mail unless members specifically need to continue receiving printed copies. This will significantly reduce costs, meaning greater resources available for reinvestment in serving members.

With this in mind, from 1 December 2002 we will reset our e-mail options system to distribute information notes, safety flashes and minutes in electronic form only. If you still need to receive printed copies, please e-mail IMCA Membership Services or advise this office in writing. We will then ensure you receive printed distribution from that date.

2 Electronic document formats

We currently distribute e-mailed documents in Microsoft® Word (.doc) format. However, this often leads to large file sizes and inconsistent formatting depending upon the system on which they are opened.

On the members-only website, all documents, other than those designed for future word processing, such as audit checklists, etc., are in Adobe® Acrobat® (.pdf) format. This usually substantially reduces file sizes and ensures the reproduction of consistent documents across virtually all systems.

Feedback from the members-only website has been positive. With the opportunity of improving the documents we send to you and to reduce the size of e-mail messages (and thus the download time, particularly for those on narrowband connections), we will switch to distributing in .pdf format from 1 December 2002. Word versions will continue to be available on request where there is a particular need/use, such as where an extensive response form is included, etc.

3 IMCA documents – what’s what?

The following reproduces and updates information provided in 1997, which was prompted by requests from a number of members for guidance on the various categories of documentation issued by IMCA.

IMCA produces a range of technical reports, guidance notes, information notes and other information, which are distributed to member’s contacts for IMCA’s core committees and their representatives for the four technical divisions.

IMCA has two core committees – Safety, Environment & Legislation, and Training, Certification and Personnel Competence – the activities of which are relevant to all IMCA members.

Otherwise its work is organised through four technical divisions, each covering a specific area of members interests: Diving, Marine, Offshore Survey and Remote Systems & ROV.

Each of the core committees produces information which is of interest to IMCA members as a whole. The divisional management committees similarly produce information for those who subscribe to the work of that Division. Essentially this information comes in three forms:

1. Guidance notes, codes of practice and reports on technical matters (the latter mainly from the Marine Division);
2. Information notes; and
3. Safety flashes.

3.1 Technical reports, guidance notes and codes of practice

IMCA aims to promote improvements in quality, health and safety, environment and technical matters through the publication of technical reports, guidance notes and codes of practice. These are usually produced by specific divisions and are distributed to the division’s members on publication. They are also available for purchase to members of other divisions and, at a small additional cost, to non-IMCA members.

The numbering system is as follows: ‘IMCA’ followed by a letter representing the division or core activity, then a sequential number:

• IMCA D 0xx Diving Division
• IMCA M 1xx Marine Division
• IMCA S 0xx Offshore Survey Division
• IMCA R 0xx Remote Systems & ROV Division
• IMCA C 0xx TCPC/competence scheme
• IMCA S&L/SEL 0xx Safety, Environment & Legislation

Diving/ROV publications previously produced by AODC keep their previous numbers as a separate series, e.g. AODC 014 is a different publication to IMCA D 014; those produced by DPVOA keep their previous numbers, the sequence of which is continued by the ‘IMCA M’ Marine Division series.

3.2 Information notes

IMCA releases information notes from both the core committees and the divisions on topics that may be of interest to our members. These notes are numbered sequentially, with the division or core committee initials and the year of issue, e.g. ‘IMCA SEL 08/02’ – this is the 8th information note issued by SEL in 2002. The information notes are aimed at giving members up to date information and therefore may have a limited shelf life.

3.3 Safety flashes

Safety flashes are distributed to all members of all divisions. These flashes provide a vehicle for exchange of safety information (e.g. on incidents and accidents) for the benefit to all our members. As with information notes, safety flashes are numbered sequentially and are suffixed with the year of issue, e.g. ‘IMCA Safety Flash 07/02’.

4 Members-only website

The IMCA members-only website makes available all current IMCA documentation as listed above from 1998 onwards (with selected areas from 1997 and Marine Division technical reports currently being added on a phased basis). All members should have received briefing on the site – contact IMCA Membership Services if you do not yet have access.

Originally issued with the following reference(s): IMCA D 19/2, IMCA M 40/2, IMCA R 06/2, IMCA S 08/2, IMCA SEL 36/2, IMCA TCPC 14/2