Selecting the right company:
Experience: Ask
the contractor for some background information, qualifications, and certifications as well as the names of the divers who
will be conducting operations on your project:
- Inexperienced or improperly trained divers – Professional commercial divers will have attended
a military dive school (minimum acceptable level of training is second class divers course) or an Association of Commercial
Diving Educators ACDE accredited course. http://www.acde.us/ Most of these divers will also carry Association of Diving Contractors ADC certification
for the level of training they have received http://www.adc-usa.org/
There
is no recreational SCUBA agency or certification that meets the ANSI http://www.acde.us/ansi.pdf standard for minimum levels of commercial diver training.
- It is important to know the names of the divers who will be working on your project and the background
these divers offer your project.
- Have they ever completed a similar project?
- It is not uncommon within the industry for companies to bid contracts and then man the dive crew
with freelance divers, this alone is not necessarily a bad thing and may result in some excellent and experienced hands joining
your project. Of course the opposite is also true, and it may result in a diving crew comprised of inexperienced or unqualified
personnel.
- Timeline – require your contractor to provide a timeline for completion of tasks, if the company
has experience in the industry and has performed the tasks in the past then providing a timeline for completion can allow
for a much better comparison of rates than simple hourly or daily figures. There is no sense in hiring the company with the
cheapest rate if they can not complete the project in a timely and safe manner.
Insurance: Ask any
company you intend to do business with to see a copy of their insurance coverage, there are many unscrupulous companies professing
to be commercial diving contractors that do not carry adequate coverage for the work performed. This can result in an unnecessary
liability and perhaps additional expense for your company.
o Longshoreman and Harbor workers Compensation act
(USLH)http://www.dol.gov/esa/owcp/dlhwc/lstable.htm
o Merchant Marine act of 1920 (Jones act)
- Verfiy before you buy: www.fldfs.com click on Proof of Coverage database or call Department of Financial Services at 800-342-2762,
- Call the Department of Insurance in whatever other State
may apply, or have the diving companies agent or insurance carrier provide proof of current and active coverage and list
your comany as a Certificate of Insurance holder.
Equipment: Equipment
that does not meet the minimum standards for commercial diving service or is not in a high state of maintenance and repair
can result in unnecessary delays.
Ethics: One of the
best indicators of a company’s moral and ethical code is gained by talking to contractors who have hired them previously.
It is important to ask for specific references from companies, although asking for references and dates work was performed
can sometimes be one of the best indicators.
- In commercial diving a company or for that matter diver is sometimes only as good as their last
project.
- How did operations run?
- Was the crew on time?
- Any unexpected delays or loss of productivity?
- Was the same crew present for the entire operation?
- Are any members of the previous crew going to be manning your project?
- Unexpected expenses or fees?
ADCI Member
Companies:
An ADCI member has pledged in writing to foster safety in all
areas of activities; to comply with all ADCI standards; to maintain high standards with regard to business ethics, employee
relations, customer relations, and the public image of the underwater industry.
Hiring any unknown subcontractor presents a certain degree of
risk, take some time to protect your project and your company from illegal, inexperienced, and immoral diving contractors.
