Page 253 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

Different organizations exist world-wide. For SCUBA operations, the qualifications of the World Underwater Federation, CMAS, are accepted in several countries. For professionals working in the recreational diving industry, the instructor certificates from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, PADI, are a common norm. However, in many countries where diving at work is regulated, qualifications need to be obtained from a training institution that is recognized for diving at work, for instance a school that is recognized by the International Diving Schools Association, IDSA. Specific first-aid or paramedic training is often included.
Divers in the project should also have obtained at least a primary level of certification from such an institution. If no relevant authorities addressing diving issues or such regulation exist in the country of operation, acceptable or comparable qualifications will have to be determined by the overseer of the project. These definitions are explained further in Chapter VII Competence and qualifications. It is important that all participants are determined to have the appropriate qualifications prior to the start of the project; not only is this best practice, but in many cases not following these guidelines can have legal ramifications (see applicable legislation, above).
Prior to the beginning of a project, all qualifications and competences should be verified.
Academic degrees, diving and boat operator licences and first-aid certifications are easily checked with the issuing institutions.
Mixed diving teams
As noted in Chapter VII Competence and qualifications, it is very likely that some projects will actively seek to include the participation of non-archaeologists (‘avocationals’) in order to encourage local invol- vement in underwater heritage management, capacity building, or provide technical training to interested parties. In development-led archaeology this may not be appropriate, especially not if archaeological services are tendered out, or where developers pay
252 for specified archaeological research. Professional
Safety