The Diving at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Certificate of medical fitness to dive

15.—(1) A certificate of medical fitness to dive is a certificate from a medical examiner of divers (or from the Executive following an appeal under paragraph (4)) that the person issuing the certificate considers the person named in the certificate to be fit to dive.

(2) A certificate of medical fitness to dive shall state –

(a) the period (which shall not exceed 12 months) during which the person issuing the certificate considers the person named in the certificate will remain fit to dive; and

(b) any other limitations as to the nature or category of diving to which it relates.

(3) A certificate of medical fitness to dive may be subject to conditions stated in the certificate and may be revoked at any time on medical grounds by a medical examiner of divers or the Executive.

(4) Where a certificate of medical fitness to dive is –

(a) refused;

(b) granted subject to limitations under paragraph (2); or

(c) subjected to conditions or revoked under paragraph (3),

by a medical examiner of divers, the person who applied for or holds the certificate may, within 28 days of the decision in question, appeal to the Executive against that decision; and the Executive shall thereupon review the decision and if satisfied that the decision should be reversed or altered shall issue a certificate to that effect.

(5) A certificate of medical fitness to dive shall not be valid unless any limitation or any condition stated in it is satisfied or complied with and it has neither expired nor been revoked.

(6) In this regulation, “medical examiner of divers” means a registered medical practitioner who is, or who falls within a class of medical practitioners which is, for the time being, approved in writing by the Executive for the purposes of this regulation; and any such approval may be given generally or restricted to any class of diver or dive.