Circular No: NP/082/20
TO ALL OFFSHORE BRANCHES AND REGIONAL COUNCILS.
Our ref: S2/4
2nd April 2020
Divers’ medical fitness certification – Clarification
Further to Circular no. 076/20 of 27th March 2020, members have asked for clarification of the process which they are required to undertake to renew certificates of medical fitness to dive when they are not able to access Approved Medical Examiners of Divers (AMEDs) during the COVID-19 crisis.
This is a self-certification process. And the Health and Safety Executive have provided your Union with the following, further clarification:
“The extension to the validity of the divers’ medicals is an automatic process whereby they will remain valid until 1st June provided that the various conditions mentioned in the information we have published apply. One such condition is that the diver should be able to demonstrate if asked (by HSE or a diving contractor for example), that they at least tried to get a new medical, eg by email communications, or a reference to a phone call to their AMED.”
Any diver who wishes to dive at work and either does not hold or holds a restricted certificate of medical fitness to dive issued by an AMED on or before 16th March 2020 must undertake the full examination as required by the Diving at Work Regulations.
The HSE will be reviewing these arrangements in the coming months and you will be kept updated with any further changes.
I would be grateful if you would share this with members in your branch or region and I will keep you informed of all further developments.
Yours sincerely
Mick Cash
General Secretary
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: