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Due to the
urgency of addressing the HSE's Approved Requirements,
the December newsletter was cancelled in favour of the
circular that members received.
Thanks to those
members who sent in a reply to the HSE proposed Approved
Requirements, we fear that this is not the last we will
hear of this. Once the principle is established, there
will be little to prevent either European legislation or
the HSE requiring that all testing be carried out
by an approved person. For this reason, ASSET will
continue its dialogue with both HSE and UKAS in an
effort to secure a means by which small test stations
can become approved.
Members will be aware of the
proposal that ASSET put to HSE in March 1997 for the
self-regulation of our industry setting out ASSET's
training, certification and approval scheme. This
proposal was well received by HSE and has formed the
basis of an ongoing dialogue ever since. Acting alone
individual organisations often lack the finance,
expertise, and strength to effectively deal with the
growing tide of restriction and onerous legislation that
may be imposed upon us. Consequently, there is a
tendency to be retroactive when we need to be
proactive. It is always more difficult to persuade
government to change its mind when wheels have been set
in motion. One has only to consider the current problems
concerning cylinder testing and the Carriage of
dangerous goods legislation to realise that this is
true.
ASSET, IDEST and SITA have done excellent work
on an individual basis, however these efforts would
benefit greatly from joint planning and co-ordination.
Only by working together will we be taken seriously and
stand a chance of having our voice heard before
decisions are taken, instead of constantly being
presented with "faits accomplis".
Two meetings
have taken place between ASSET, IDEST and SITA to
discuss the possibility of combining the strengths of
all three organisations for mutual benefit. The most
recent meeting in January resulted in a set of proposals
that if approved by ASSET members and the SITA
Executive, will result in ASSET becoming an independent
division of SITA with responsibility for technical
standards.
The proposals are set out later in this
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All Memberships
fall due for renewal on April 1st, you will find a
renewal form enclosed with this News Letter. It is
important to both you, ASSET, and the Industry
that you maintain your Membership, remember
A.S.S.E.T. is the only organisation representing you the
Technician .
Current Membership means
that you are kept informed of issues affecting you
and your work. This means that "you" have a voice in the
Industry. Asset is working for you, representing you and
your point of view , making sure your voice is heard.
Please continue to support Asset by returning your
membership renewal.
Together we can make a difference.
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The need for
the industry to pull together was discussed in the
editorial, ever since the formation of ASSET we have
endeavoured to maintain a dialogue with other
organisations in the Recreational Diving Industry. Each
organisation has had its own priorities and agenda, the
inevitable result of which is duplication of effort and
an obvious lack of strength and unity when viewed by
others from outside the industry. Where Technical
matters are concerned, ASSET has pioneered the
development of codes of practice, training and
qualifications for technicians. However the industry has
been slow to take our work on board, although there are
numerous indicators pointing to a need for urgency; it
seems that a disaster is always required to concentrate
peoples minds.
Last year we initiated formal
negotiations with SITA and IDEST (IDEST is an
independent division of SITA), to explore the
possibility of combining the technical efforts of each
organisation. The negotiations are at an advanced stage
and have produced a series of proposals, under
which:
ASSET would become
a division of SITA on similar footing to IDEST; with
its operational and technical independence guaranteed.
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