A group of Korean commercial divers have obtained their HSE (Health & Safety Executive) diving certification on the first ever Korean-language HSE diving course at The Underwater Centre, Fort William.
The 12 divers from Deep Sea Works, South Korea, completed the HSE Experience and Competence Assessment (ECA) course – normally delivered in English – entirely in the Korean language.
The Underwater Centre uses translators and interpreters to deliver courses to groups of non-English speaking divers, allowing companies from non-English speaking countries to obtain diver certification. The Centre had all the course documentation – including dive plans, log books and course material – translated into Korean. The course was delivered in Fort William with the assistance of an on-site interpreter. As well as translating the instructions and feedback from the assessors, the interpreter was also on hand to help with other everyday issues, such as explaining the Centre’s restaurant menu.
Deep Sea Works specialises in civil engineering, diving and construction work. Im Chang Yung , CEO, chose The Underwater Centre for his staff’s HSE course because he was impressed with the instructional team and facilities when he undertook his HSE Closed Bell training there in 2008.
He said: “I would definitely recommend The Underwater Centre to other companies, and I will be sending my next group of divers to do their HSE ECA in November.”
The Underwater Centre has also delivered non-English speaking courses at its school in Tasmania. In recent years a group of divers from MRTS, a Russian construction contractor, obtained their ADAS (Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme) air and saturation diving certification in the Russian language.
Steve Ham , commercial director at The Underwater Centre, said: “HSE and ADAS are rightly seen as the gold-standard for subsea training. If your team has international certification, you are showing a commitment to being the best, and you will gain a competitive edge when tendering for work.”