Who regulates, certifies and advises commercial diving
41 bodies worldwide — the regulators whose rules you dive under, the schemes that issue your certificate, the medical committees behind your fitness standard, and the associations that write the guidance. Every link checked in October 2026.
Health and Safety Executive — Diving at Work
Britain's workplace safety regulator and the body behind the Diving at Work Regulations 1997. It publishes the Approved Codes of Practice that govern every commercial dive in UK waters, and the List of Approved Diving Qualifications that decides which tickets are legal to dive on.
Why it matters: If you want to work the UK sector, HSE's approved list is the document that says whether your certificate counts. It accepts a range of non-UK qualifications — and no US civilian one.
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Havindustritilsynet — Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority
The Norwegian government agency responsible for safety, working environment and emergency preparedness across the whole Norwegian continental shelf, plus onshore petroleum facilities, offshore renewables and seabed minerals. Formerly the Petroleum Safety Authority.
Why it matters: Havtil issues the Norwegian diver certificates, including the bell ticket that the UK HSE also accepts for closed bell work.
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Arbeidstilsynet — Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
Norway's labour inspectorate, responsible for diving that falls outside the petroleum regime — inland and inshore work covered by the national working environment rules.
Why it matters: The Norwegian class B inland certificate comes from this side of the system, not from Havtil.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The US federal workplace safety regulator. Commercial diving sits under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T, which sets requirements for dive team qualifications, procedures and equipment.
Why it matters: Unlike the UK, OSHA names no certificate. It requires the employer to ensure each dive team member has the experience or training for the task — which is why the ADCI card is an industry credential, not a licence.
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US Coast Guard — Commercial Vessel Compliance
Regulates commercial diving from vessels and on the US outer continental shelf under 46 CFR, alongside OSHA's general industry rules.
Why it matters: Which rules apply to a US dive often depends on whether you are working from a vessel, which is the Coast Guard's remit.
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Diver Certification Board of Canada
An independent board that certifies occupational divers in Canada, accredits training schools and runs an assessment route for divers qualified elsewhere.
Why it matters: DCBC certificates appear on the UK HSE approved list, and its prior-learning assessment is the formal route for a foreign-trained diver to get Canadian recognition.
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Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme
The occupational diver certification scheme used across Australia and New Zealand, built around a published code of practice and a part-based qualification structure.
Why it matters: ADAS Parts 1 to 3 are on the UK HSE approved list for surface-supplied work with a top-up, and ADAS is widely recognised beyond Australasia.
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WorkSafe New Zealand
New Zealand's workplace health and safety regulator, covering occupational diving alongside the other high-risk sectors.
Why it matters: The New Zealand rules sit beside the ADAS scheme rather than replacing it.
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Department of Employment and Labour
The South African government department whose diving regulations govern commercial diving in South African waters and which approves the training establishments.
Why it matters: South African schools display its approval because the department, not an association, is what makes their certificates legal at home.
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Directorate General of Shipping
India's maritime regulator, responsible for shipping and offshore safety administration.
Why it matters: India has a sizeable diving workforce and the DGS sits over the maritime side of it.
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Ministry of Manpower
Singapore's workplace safety and employment regulator, covering commercial diving in one of Asia's main subsea hubs.
Why it matters: Singapore is a base for several regional contractors, so its rules reach a lot of work in South-East Asia.
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Instituto Social de la Marina
The Spanish maritime social institute, part of the social security system, with responsibilities covering seafarers and professional divers.
Why it matters: Spanish professional diving qualifications are state-issued, which is why Spanish schools talk about official titles rather than association cards.
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Marinha do Brasil — Diretoria de Portos e Costas
The Brazilian Navy directorate that regulates commercial diving in Brazilian waters through the NORMAM rules.
Why it matters: Brazil runs its own certification regime, which matters if you are aiming at the pre-salt fields.
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Institut National de Plongée Professionnelle
France's national professional diving institute, the reference training body behind the French state diving qualifications.
Why it matters: The French qualification is state-backed and appears on the HSE approved list for inland and inshore work.
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International Marine Contractors Association
The main trade association for offshore marine contractors, covering diving, ROV, marine and survey divisions. It publishes the guidance most of the offshore world works to and runs competence and audit schemes.
Why it matters: IMCA does not certify divers. It recognises training schemes and sets the operational standards contractors sign up to, which is why schools advertise IMCA recognition.
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Association of Diving Contractors International
The US commercial diving trade association. It publishes the International Consensus Standards and issues diver classification cards from Entry Level through Air Diver to Bell/Sat Diver.
Why it matters: Entry Level needs 625 documented hours of formal instruction to the ANSI subjects; Air Diver adds 30 working dives and 100 field days; Bell/Sat adds 100 dives, 10 bell runs and 200 field days.
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International Diving Schools Association
The international association of commercial diving schools, based in the Netherlands. It publishes diver training standards, issues an IDSA qualification card and keeps a register of trained divers.
Why it matters: Membership runs Full (1200 EUR), Associate (600 EUR) and Industrial/Affiliate (500 EUR), the last of which is open to any organisation interested in the association's work.
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International Association of Oil & Gas Producers
The global upstream oil and gas producers' association, with over 90 members. It publishes safety data and standards that flow down to contractors.
Why it matters: The operators who commission subsea work set expectations here, and those expectations reach the dive spread.
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Offshore Energies UK
The UK offshore energy industry's trade association, a not-for-profit membership body with five decades of history, covering oil, gas and the energy transition.
Why it matters: The UK diving agreement and much of the North Sea's commercial context sit inside this world.
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South African Oil and Gas Alliance
The industry alliance for the South African oil, gas and marine supply chain.
Why it matters: It is one of the affiliations South African diving schools display, and the hub for regional subsea work.
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International Association of Drilling Contractors
The drilling contractors' association, with accreditation programmes including subsea competency assessment.
Why it matters: Relevant where diving work touches rigs and subsea well operations.
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Society for Underwater Technology
A learned society for underwater science, engineering and technology, with branches worldwide and individual as well as corporate membership.
Why it matters: One of the few bodies in this list an individual can simply join, with conferences and publications across subsea engineering.
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Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology
The international professional body for marine engineers, scientists and technologists, offering professional registration and individual membership.
Why it matters: The route to chartered status for people who move from the dive spread into engineering.
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Diving Medical Advisory Committee
An independent committee formed in 1975 to advise on the medical and certain safety aspects of commercial diving. It brings together diving physicians from France, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom with health authority and industry representatives.
Why it matters: DMAC guidance is the reference the offshore world uses on diving medicine, from fitness standards to hyperbaric evacuation.
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Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society
The main scientific society for undersea and hyperbaric medicine, which also runs a hyperbaric facility accreditation programme.
Why it matters: Where the published science on saturation physiology and decompression largely lives.
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European Underwater and Baromedical Society
The European scientific society dedicated to the study and promotion of diving and hyperbaric medicine.
Why it matters: Its annual meeting and journal are where European diving medicine research is presented.
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Southern African Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association
A voluntary association recognised as a Special Interest Group by the Council of the South African Medical Association, made up of doctors, nurses and technicians working in underwater and hyperbaric medicine. It accredits chambers and lists diving medical examiners.
Why it matters: If you need a diving medical in southern Africa, its examiner list is the starting point.
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South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society
The diving and hyperbaric medicine society for the South Pacific, publisher of the Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine journal.
Why it matters: Its journal is one of the two main peer-reviewed outlets in the field.
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European Committee for Hyperbaric Medicine
The European committee that issues consensus positions on hyperbaric medicine practice.
Why it matters: Its consensus conferences shape what European chambers treat and how.
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Divers Alert Network
The best-known dive safety organisation, providing medical services, research, insurance and emergency evacuation for divers worldwide.
Why it matters: Primarily recreational in membership, but its emergency network and medical research reach the professional world too.
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DAN Europe
The European arm of the Divers Alert Network, with its own medical team, research programme and emergency line.
Why it matters: The European number to know if something goes wrong in the water.
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European Diving Technology Committee
A European committee bringing together regulators, industry and medical representatives to work on diving standards and competence across European countries.
Why it matters: The forum where European mutual recognition of diving qualifications gets discussed.
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ISO/TC 228 and related committees
The international standards organisation whose committees cover diving services and related equipment standards.
Why it matters: ISO standards sit underneath several national schemes and much of the equipment you will use.
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American Academy of Underwater Sciences
The body that sets the standard for scientific diving in the United States and certifies member organisations' programmes.
Why it matters: Scientific diving runs under its own exemption from the commercial rules, with its own standard.
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Canadian Association for Underwater Science
Founded in 1983, a non-profit, all-volunteer organisation with a mandate covering scientific diving in Canada.
Why it matters: The Canadian counterpart to AAUS, with its own standard for science diving.
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NOAA Diving Program
The diving programme of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the largest government diving operations in the world.
Why it matters: Its diving manual is a widely used technical reference well beyond NOAA.
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South African Association for Marine Biological Research
A South African marine research and education association, incorporating the Oceanographic Research Institute and uShaka Sea World.
Why it matters: One of the bodies South African diving schools partner with, and a route into marine science work.
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National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The UK union that represents offshore divers among its maritime membership and negotiates on their pay and conditions.
Why it matters: The published North Sea day rates that get quoted everywhere come out of this negotiating world.
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Forbundet Styrke (formerly Industri Energi)
The Norwegian union covering industry and energy workers, including offshore. Industri Energi merged into Forbundet Styrke.
Why it matters: The Norwegian sector's pay and conditions are collectively agreed, and this is the union side of that table.
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Historical Diving Society
The British society dedicated to the history of diving, with a journal, an annual conference and a substantial archive.
Why it matters: Where the equipment and the trade you are joining came from, documented by people who were there.
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Historical Diving Society USA
The American historical diving society, publisher of the Journal of Diving History.
Why it matters: The US counterpart, with its own awards and archive.
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No organisation matches that filter.
Links verified October 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.