updated on May 4th, 2021
– Welcome to dive for Science in France! Check the guidelines !
- Covid-19– [Recommendations]
- Hyperbaric safety manual / Common inter-institutional framework / Mention Bd “techniques, sciences, fishing, aquaculture, media and other interventions” (in French) – Sept. 2024
- Web page of the CNPS (En) Comité National de la Plongée Scientifique|French National SCientific Diving Committee web page
- Web site of COLIMPHA (Fr) Association Française des Plongeurs Scientifiques|French Association of Scientific Divers
Scientific Diving by law
SD comes under mention B: technics, sciences, fishing, aquaculture, media and other interventions
*- Decree n ° 2011-45 of 11 January 2011|Text (in French) of the Official Journal on the protection of workers working in hyperbaric environments
*- Ministerial Order of 12 December 2016|Text (in French) of the Official Journal defining the procedures for training in the safety of workers exposed to hyperbaric risk
*- Ministerial Order of 14 May 2019|Text (in French) of the Official Journal defining the procedures for entering, stay, leaving and organization of work for hyperbaric interventions carried out with immersion in the context of the [**mention B*] (replacing the Ministerial Order of 30 October 2012).
List of certified centres for the CAH, mention B (February 25th, 2021)
The current validity of the CAH is 5 years. The validity of the previously delivered certificates (untill 31 December 2011) remains 10 years. An explanatory table is downloadable.
The CAH renewal must have been obtain before the end of the last year of validity (10th or 5th year, depending of the date of issue). In any case, all CAH issued after the 1 January 2012 have a uniforme stop of validity on the 31 December 2021.
As regards the medical supervision of scientific SCUBA divers, the decree of 28 March 1991 defining the recommendations to occupational physicians responsible for the medical supervision of workers working in hyperbaric environments has been repealed since 24 January 2016 by decree of 28 December 2015. However, the High Authority of Health has published Good practice recommendations (13 November 2018, 2nd edition) [PDF in French].
CNPS newsletter (in French)
n°7 – April 2021 Hommage à Alain Couté
n°6 – May 2020 COVID-19: Recommendations for return to underwater activities
n°5 – December 2019 Welcome to dive for science in France! p.15
n°4 – April 2019
n°3 – May 2017
n°2 – June 2016
n°1 – January 2016