March 2007 - WRSTC

ISO approves 6 Diving Standards
The International Standards Organization (ISO) is the largest developer of technical standards which positively impact our global society. In January 2007, six (6) recreational diving standards were approved. With the involvement of diver training organizations from many countries, ISO was able to act as a bridging organization to bring them all together to approve one standard that will be implemented world wide.

The ISO is a network of national standards institutes from 157 countries with a central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland that coordinates the system. For the United States, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the ISO representative. As the ANSI Accredited Standards Developer for recreational diving standards and safety, the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC) actively participated in the ISO standards approval process.

Although some of the terminology is different, the long-standing industry standards developed by the RSTC are consistent with the applicable ISO Standards, as identified in the following chart.

RSTC Standard	ISO Standard	Alternative ISO Title
Introductory Scuba Experience	No equivalent
No equivalent	Level One Diver	Supervised Diver
Open Water Diver	Level Two Diver	Autonomous Diver
Dive Supervisor	Level Three Diver	Dive Leader
Assistant Instructor	Level 1 Instructor
Scuba Instructor	Level 2 Instructor
Instructor Trainer	No equivalent
No equivalent	Service Provider

Dr. Guy Dear from Divers Alert Network (DAN) presented the new guidelines for those with diabetes to the RSTC committee at their last meeting in August 2006. These guidelines allow for some individuals with diabetes to dive. DAN has advised diabetics against diving for many years until the mid 1990s when they determined that a percentage of their members were not only diabetic but those with insulin requiring diabetes.

With this information DAN launched a study from 1997 to 1999 to determine the possibility of those with diabetes being able to dive. The finding of that study prompted the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and DAN to hold a workshop in 2005 with the diving medical experts from around the world to seek formal guidelines for diabetes and diving.

After a thorough overview of the new guidelines RSTC unanimously endorsed the guidelines. RSTC will also work to with the UHMS to add the new information to the current RSTC Medical Guidelines to the Physician.

A copy of the guidelines can be obtained from DAN. You can go to the home page of DAN www.diversalertnetwork.org, search for “diabetes” and you will find DAN Divers Alert Network : Medical Research : Diabetes & Diving click on that link and you will find an article about the research. At the end of the article you will find the citation for the complete work shop and also a one page summary of the guidelines.