After more than a year and a half of development the Diver Certification Board of Canada (DCBC) opened for the business of certifying commercial divers on January 2, 2003.  The DCBC will certify divers to the Canadian Standards Association Competency Standard for Diving Operations, known as CSA Standard Z275.4.  The board will also accredit commercial diver training organisations that can demonstrate that they train to the Z275.4 competency levels.

The DCBC has been created in response to advice from the National Energy Board that they will cease to assess and certify the competency of commercial divers working in the offshore.  The development of the DCBC has been undertaken under the guidance of a board of directors representing major offshore operators, commercial diving contractors, and commercial diver training schools, and with the assistance of Human Resources Development Canada and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.  Operational funding support has been provided by the federal and provincial governments through the Newfoundland and Nova Scotia offshore petroleum boards and by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.  Commercial divers will also support the operations of the board through the payment of fees for certificates.

The DCBC has launched a new World Wide Web site which provides extensive information on the development of the board, the policies of the board and procedures to be followed to apply for certification.  The web site is at www.divercertification.com and/or www.diverboard.ca Application forms are also available from the office of the DCBC in Halifax, NS.

Contact:
David Parkes

Executive Director
Diver Certification Board of Canada
5121 Sackville Street, Suite 503

Halifax, NS  B3J 1K1

Telephone: (902) 465 3483      Cel: (902) 471 7155 

Email: dparkes@divercertification.com