Diving instructor fined for falsifying medical certificate

A diving instruction has been fined £700 after falsifying a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commercial diving medical certificate. The instructor pleaded guilty to breaching Section 33(1)(m) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The document was falsified in a bid to seek employment and was identified by a diving school before being reported to the HSE.

Any commercial diving instructor must hold a valid medical certificate issued by an HSE-approved doctor to confirm they are fit to dive. This is a legal requirement under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 as diving is considered a high-risk activity.