International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA) technical director, Mark Ford, was recently awarded an IIMS (International Institute of Marine Surveying) Blue Water Award at the IIMS London 2019 Conference Dinner.
Mark Ford said: “Naturally I would like to thank IIMS for this totally unexpected honour, it was a complete surprise. I approached Mike and IIMS five years ago with what was then something of a pipe dream. Working with them over the years, both before and since the official launch, on May 01, 2015, we have seen the scheme come on in leaps and bounds and are proud that the eCMID Accredited Vessel Inspector (AVI) scheme is now widely respected around the world.
“As we said way back at the time of the launch: ‘Much hard work has been put in to get to this point. The initiative is being collaboratively delivered by IMCA and the IIMS, and managed by their subsidiary MSA, and will radically alter the vessel inspection expectations of all stakeholders, whether or not they are members of IMCA, as their AVI card, bearing the IIMS logo and a declaration that the accreditation is recognized by IMCA, will become the industry standard symbol of quality for eCMID reports’.
“The pipe dream then moved from vision to action and, with 600 people having come forward for accreditation, helps to ensure the safety and efficiency of the marine contracting industry fleet. We thank IIMS and MSA for their hard work and commitment to the scheme.”