The Underwater Centre Fremantle successfully completed a training
program on behalf of Covus Corporation Pty Ltd in conjunction
with the Petrosea, “Tunu” Project. The program was
conducted between 16 and 25 October 1999, at the Petrosea construction
facilities at Tanjung Batu, Balikpapan, Indonesia. Training
was undertaken onboard the "Clough Challenger".
The aim of the course was to assess the knowledge and practical
competencies of local divers expected to work in low visibility
to a maximum depth of 20 metres using surface supplied breathing
apparatus. Twelve local divers participated on the program.
The training program served an important role in formally assessing
the divers competency for the work they are about to undertake
on the Tunu Project. TUCF Managing Director Ian Milliner said,
"Petrosea and Covus now have some assurance as to the safety
and efficacy of their workforce". He went on to say that
"The ultimate success of the training program will be measured
by the results the divers achieve, both in terms of safety and
accomplishment of tasks during the “Tunu” project".
The divers took two to three days of practical training to reach
a level of expertise satisfactory to accomplish the relatively
simply tasks set. In an operational sense if each new shift
of divers took the same period to reach a satisfactory level
of competency before constructive work could commence, then
the Tunu Project might have experienced significant delays with
the subsequent costs this incurs.
Having undertaken a form of “work up training” it
is expected that the operational effectiveness of the divers
will be reflected in their ability to immediately accomplish
tasks set.
