ADAS Cards
Change to ADAS Card to Prevent Forgeries
Within the last few years there have been various reports of divers forging ADAS licences to gain employment in Asia and Australia. There have also been cases of forged HSE certificates in the UK.
Changes to ADAS Licence
In response to concerns regarding forgery of licences, ADAS has implemented a security measure which involves having all ADAS cards issued after August 2007 being imprinted with a holographic watermark into the plastic card background.
It should be noted that the hologram is only on the front of the card and is not as obvious as it appears in the image. Being a hologram, it is imprinted under the image and shows up best when inclined to the light.
In 2015 ADAS changed the card design to a more complex watermark in the shape of the ADAS logo in a light grey colour on the back and front of the card, with the diver in the logo on the back only. The coat of arms is silver and slightly raised.
AQF Certificates
Certificates issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) accompany, but do not replace the ADAS licence. They are issued in recognition of the achievement of all the competencies of an ADAS accredited course and must be issued as an operating requirement under the Australian Vocational Education and Training system. The AQF certificates are paper wall certificates and generally contain the words Certificate IV in (title of qualification) or Diploma of (title of qualification). Certificate IV is not the same as the ADAS Part 4 licence.
It is the ADAS licence and not a paper wall certificate that must be sighted by employers as proof of an ADAS qualification. All ADAS qualified personnel are issued an ADAS licence.
If you have doubts about the authenticity of an ADAS licence please contact ADAS for verification.
Reports and Alerts
WARNING – INTERNATIONAL TRAINING
If you are considering undertaking a commercial diver training course, be aware that not all training courses deliver training that is equivalent to that required by the Australian Standards and which will permit you to gain an ADAS certificate and allow you to work in Australia.
Under Australian law, you must:
- Have been issued a certificate of competency by ADAS
- Have complied with the requirements of the appropriate Australian Standard (AS 2815 Parts 1 – 4).
ADAS will only acknowledge training and issue an ADAS certificate against a training course that:
- Is delivered by a school which is accredited by ADAS; or
- Issues a certificate from a national body with a reciprocal recognition agreement with ADAS (Canada, France, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and the United Kingdom).
If you are considering a course, therefore, that purports to qualify and certify you to dive offshore or onshore as an unrestricted surface supply diver to 50 metres, you need to ensure that it provides training which complies with the following minimums:
- Incorporates occupational scuba training and qualification
- Is no less that 12 weeks in length
- Provides training and qualification in the use of hand tools (scuba), hydraulic tools (SSBA), underwater construction tasks, chamber operation, wet bells and hot water suits.