A life support technician is responsible for the safety of up to 18 saturation divers while they are living in a chamber under the sea. Saturation divers live in these pressurised chambers, up to 100 metres below sea level for 28 days at a time so it is essential the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is right as well as the pressure, temperature and humidity of the environment within the chamber. Life support technicians also check the content of the divers’ breathing gas, support catering and deal with disposal of sanitary waste.

The Work

You could be:

• providing a communication link with the divers in saturation and the surface crew
• maintaining pressure within the chamber
• maintaining saturation depth
• maintaining the temperature and humidity within the chamber
• maintaining the correct level of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the chamber
• completing an hourly chamber control logbook
• running pre-dive and post-dive checks including calibrating equipment
• supplying accurate calibration data for relevant instruments on request
• dealing with catering and sanitary disposal
• treating decompression illness and other pressure related injuries
• dealing with any emergency situations in the chamber.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual salaries may vary, depending on:

• where you work and how long you are offshore for
• the size of company or organisation you work for
• the demand for the job.

Salaries for assistant life support technicians are in the region of £50,000 a year. Life support technicians can earn between £70,000 and £80,000 a year, and life support supervisors earn between £101,000 and £110,000 a year.

Conditions

• You would be based offshore on a ship or oil platform
• You may be away at sea for up to 60 days at a time.
• You may do a lot of travelling all over the world, as you have to go where the project is. Companies often operate at a global level. 
• You have to fly by helicopter between the ship or platform and onshore.
• Accommodation (usually shared cabins) and meals are provided free. There are usually good recreational facilities.

Useful Subjects

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Human Biology
• Physics

Getting In

• You would follow the IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association) life support technician certificate programme.
• You would complete the Assistant Life Support Technician (ALST) Course. There are no formal entry requirements and prior experience is not needed. A basic knowledge of physics would be preferred. This is a 10 day course.
• On successful completion of this course, including National Hyberbaric Centre (NHC) in-house exams, you would be issued with an IMCA approved NHC Certificate.
• You would undertake a minimum number of 2,400 hours on-the-job as an assistant life support technician before sitting the IMCA life support technician exam, allowing you to work as a life support technician. 
• You must also pass an offshore survival course such as the Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training Certificate (BOSIET). Contact Cogent for more details.
• You may have to undertake the Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) course.

To work offshore you must pass a medical examination every 2 years.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

  Scotland

2025

7723

2.8 %

RISE

2030

7939

  United Kingdom

2025

103246

4.3 %

RISE

2030

107635

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What Does it Take?

You need to have:

• excellent communication skills
• the ability to work well as part of a team
• high levels of concentration
• excellent organisational skills
• critical thinking and problem solving skills
• good IT skills.

You need to be able to:

• live offshore for long periods of time
• observe regulations and follow instructions very carefully
• interpret data
• work well under pressure.

Training

• Training is on the job after completion of the assistant life support technician course.
• You would then complete 2,400 panel hours as an assistant life support technician before sitting the exam to become a life support technician.
• Further training would be required to move on in your career.
• You would be required to keep up to date with new technology and legislation throughout your career.

Getting On

• After experience and further training you could move onto life support supervisor.

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.