Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

Tom,

So you are saying that even though your agency has "tough rules
and standards" the potential for a stroke to slip through is still
present and that the IANTD brand on an instructor does not necessarily
mean that he/she is worth their weight in salt?

I totally agree if this is the case.

Choosing an instructor should be based on word of mouth. Not by picking
up an agencies directory and seeing who is closest to you.

regards,
Jeff



Tom Mount wrote:
> 
> To George
> First of all IANTD has not made any statements about WKPP in any medium. To
> my knowledge there is no Rivalry between IANTD and WKPP, why would there be
> we are a training agency WKPP is an exploration team?
> 
> Derrick apparently has said something about you or WKPP that is based on his
> opinion. Derrick has a right to his opinion, and based on comments about him
> by George and others  I imagines he feels he has a good reason for speaking
> out but he  is not a spokesman for IANTD.
> 
> Now as you know I do not have the liberty of discussing this accident on a
> public forum.
> 
> I will explain that IANTD does have stringent standards to become an
> instructor at any level. For those of you wishing to check these standards
> you may do so at the IANTD web site
> 
>  http//www.IANTD.com
> 
> The same standards spell out the requirements for various diver levels;
> quite often these courses are taught as combination programs as allowed in
> the standards provided the diver has met all the qualifications.
> If you compare these standards from basic OW to Trimix diver you will
> discover they are about the most demanding and rigid standards to be found.
> 
> I and IANTD have spent countless hours developing programs to make diving
> safer. These programs are always evolving and developing. Our total
> concentration is on dive safety and the standards we have do reflect that.
> 
> IANTD also has a quality control program. Within this program there are
> mechanisms for dealing with standards violations, ethics violations and
> accidents. Most of these are an automatic response and in the event of
> diving accidents begin with a stated procedure from the IANTD QA manual and
> a comprehensive investigation.
> This includes obtaining all information pertinent to the accident,
> statements from
>  Students
>  Other divers on the dive
>  A QA form being sent to all former students of the instructor.
>  Determinations by the ME,
>  Reports form the recovery team,
>  Reports from the diving vessel
>  Review of the training program conducted to the date of the accident,
>  Statements from other sources who are aware of the diving instructor and
> his/her practices
>  Statements from others who are familiar with the capabilities of the
> accident victim
> 
> These include people who have dived with or observed the instructor and
> student during training.
> 
> Once all this information is compiled the data is sent to a QA board
> consisting of members of the IANTD international BOA. Most of these people
> will not even know a given instructor and will be totally impartial in
> reviewing all of the data.
> 
> Based on their(BOA) determinations one of the following will take place.
> These actions are for the overall protection of the instructor; the public
> and IANTD while ensuring fair and just due process will evolve:
> 
> First immediate step: Limited teaching status (the instructor is allowed to
> teach with another instructor while under investigation).
> Events following an investigation
> 
> 1. If it is found that the instructor is not at fault in the accident in any
> way whatsoever then the limited teaching status will be removed and the
> instructor will go back on normal teaching status.
> Note! Most agencies simply send out a letter to the instructor informing
> them that the accident is under investigation and take no additional action
> at that time. Again IANTD has a more stringent program
> 
> 2. If the BOA determines that the events are questionable but not directly
> controllable or preventable by the instructor The instructor will be placed
> on provisional or restricted statues and the BOA will spell out specific
> procedures to be adhered to in order to be reinstated to normal teaching
> status.
> 
> 3. If the BOA finds that the instructor did not act responsibility the
> instructor may be suspended with the ability to request an appeal to the
> BOA. A suspended instructor may or may not be given a provision for
> reinstatement following one year of suspension again as determined by the
> BOA based on its finding of all the facts.
> 
> 4. The BOA may find cause for expulsion from instructor and membership
> status within IANTD
> 
> This is all I can comment on and it is the procedures IANTD follows in this
> type of event as spelled out in our QA manual.
> 
> At least all of you now know the actions IANTD takes when there is an
> accident . These procedures were developed by numerous members of IANTD
> internationally and within the legal constraints recommended by our counsel.
> Again we believe they are stricter than other agencies in recreational and
> technical diving and at the same time that they will provide a more factual
> review of an accident, possible means of preventing future accidents and
> will be fair to all parties involved.
> 
> The decision to do any of the above will be that of due process by impartial
> peers.
> Tom
> 


-- 
Jeff Bentley      jbentley@cr*.co*      http://www.crl.com/~jbentley
--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]