Commercial underwater work in France generally requires the worker to hold a certificat d’aptitude à l’hyperbarie (CAH) with mention A and a pressure class appropriate to the planned operation. Some public-works tasks also require the professional title scaphandrier travaux publics or a matching competency block. Separately, employers must provide hyperbaric safety training before assigning workers to posts that may expose them to hyperbaric risk, and companies performing listed work may need their own certification.
Which qualification does a commercial diver need?
The CAH is the worker’s certificate for intervening in a hyperbaric environment. Under Article R. 4461-27 of the French Labour Code, only workers holding a CAH issued after the prescribed training may intervene in such an environment. The certificate identifies both the activity mention and the pressure class it covers.
Mention A covers commercial underwater work
Mention A applies to underwater work carried out by companies subject to the company-certification rules. Other mentions cover different categories: mention B covers other underwater work, mention C covers health-related work without immersion, and mention D covers specified work without immersion. A recreational scuba qualification is not a substitute for the CAH required for professional hyperbaric work.
The pressure class limits the work
The CAH’s pressure class is tied to maximum relative pressure. The French Labour Code sets these bands:
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| CAH pressure class | Maximum relative pressure |
|---|---|
| Class 0 | 1,200 hectopascals (hPa) |
| Class I | 3,000 hPa |
| Class II | 5,000 hPa |
| Class III | Above 5,000 hPa |
A diver’s authorization must match the pressure expected for the work; a certificate does not authorize work beyond its stated class. The activity and pressure categories are set out in Article R. 4461-27.
What training is required?
CAH training for the activity and pressure class
The worker must complete the prescribed training and obtain a CAH for the relevant mention and class. For most CAH courses, training providers must be certified by an accredited certification body. The Code sets out a separate habilitation regime for certain mention B training; that exception should not be assumed to apply to mention A. Check that the provider’s status covers the particular course and qualification.
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Employer-provided hyperbaric safety training
The CAH does not remove the employer’s separate duty to ensure that a worker receives hyperbaric safety training before assignment to a post that may involve hyperbaric exposure. Under Article 1 of the 12 December 2016 order, training is intended to enable workers to understand the fundamentals of hyperbaric risk, integrate that risk into occupational prevention, and organize and carry out hyperbaric operations safely. This is a workplace prevention requirement, distinct from the worker’s CAH.
When is the public-works diver title also required?
For specified underwater public-works activities, the Labour Code names the professional title scaphandrier travaux publics or the competency block corresponding to the activity. This title is not another name for the CAH: it recognizes task-specific professional competencies, while the CAH establishes authorization for hyperbaric work at a particular mention and pressure class.
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Entry requirements and training duration under the 2025 revision
The revised rules, in force from 12 December 2025, require candidates to hold a valid CAH mention A class 2 before starting the title training and to keep it valid at the examination. The complete title’s minimum training schedule totals 455 hours. The title is divided into three competency blocks:
- Surveying and positioning submerged structures.
- Building and maintaining submerged masonry networks and structures.
- Assembling and dismantling submerged metal structures.
The revised requirements are set out in the 12 December 2025 order. The CAH class 2 prerequisite applies throughout the title course and examination; confirm any other admission conditions directly with the training centre.
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Does the employer or company need certification too?
Yes, for activities covered by the legal list. The company-certification regime is separate from the diver’s CAH and any required professional title. The company certificate concerns the employer’s capacity to organize and maintain safe hyperbaric work; it does not qualify an individual diver.
The official list includes examples such as rock removal; geotechnical drilling or coring; explosive-ordnance clearance; construction or repair; handling or moving objects weighing more than 50 kg; work on buried or weighted cables and pipes; commercial-vessel work; and work at dams or industrial, nuclear, medical, and food-processing installations. It also covers work in submerged structures such as sewers, treatment plants, ducts, tunnels, and storage structures. Some other work may be included when the environment creates danger requiring particular protective measures. See the official annex listing activities requiring company certification.
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The annex excludes specified underwater archaeological research relating to cultural property recognized by the Ministry of Culture or to historical or prehistoric sites. That is a limited exclusion, not a blanket exemption for archaeological or scientific diving.
Separate rules govern how in-water mention A work is performed, including work methods and breathing gases. The applicable requirements appear in the order on in-water hyperbaric work.
How to check the requirements for a particular job
- Classify the actual work. Identify the tasks, hazards, worksite, and employer context. The legal category depends on what the work involves, not the job’s marketing label.
- Match the CAH to the activity and pressure. For commercial underwater work covered by company-certification rules, check for mention A and a class covering the planned relative pressure.
- Check for a public-works title or competency block. Determine whether the specific task requires the full scaphandrier travaux publics title or the corresponding block.
- Verify training-provider status. Confirm that the organization is authorized or certified under the rules applicable to the specific course.
- Confirm safety training and occupational-health requirements. The employer must ensure hyperbaric safety training before assignment. For the public-works title route, the 2025 order requires enhanced individual health monitoring before the company training period. Ask the training centre and competent occupational-health professionals to confirm fitness criteria and any additional admission conditions.
- Check company and worksite obligations. Establish whether the activity triggers company certification and what additional prevention measures apply to the worksite.
These checks identify the general French framework, but they do not determine every case. Exact requirements depend on the task, pressure exposure, hazards, employer, and whether the public-works title applies. The cited rules do not establish how every foreign qualification is recognized in practice, so candidates with qualifications from another country should confirm recognition with the competent French authority or training centre.
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