Diving Medical Examination in Malaysia: Tests, Validity and Standards

Who needs a diving medical examination in Malaysia?

Anyone who dives for work, or starts diver training for work, should hold a current certificate of medical fitness to dive. That includes commercial, construction, offshore, aquaculture and scientific divers, plus instructors and guides at work. Recreational divers need a doctor only when the screening questionnaire says so.

UK HSE guidance (MA1, 2023) calls diving “a high hazard, safety critical activity”, so the doctor focuses on the lungs, heart, ears, fitness and anything that could cause sudden incapacity underwater.

• Construction and inshore divers, including CIDB Construction Diver holders.
• Offshore divers, whose contractors name the standard they accept.
• Fishing and aquaculture divers, covered by a DOSH guideline.
• Instructors and guides at work, which DMAC can count as occupational diving.

Is there a Malaysian regulation for diver medicals?

We found no Malaysian regulation or code of practice written specifically for diver medicals. Employers still have general duties under the OSH Act 1994: section 15 requires safe systems of work and section 18B a risk assessment. In practice, your client or contractor sets the medical standard.

The clearest Malaysian text is DOSH guideline JKKP GP (I/M) 7/2001 for fishing and aquaculture: section 8.7.2 makes each diver responsible for current medical certification from a physician competent in diving medicine. Offshore projects usually name UK HSE MA1 or the European EDTC Fitness to Dive Standards.

What does a commercial diving medical examination include?

Under HSE MA1, every medical includes a history and physical examination, BMI and waist size, blood pressure, spirometry, an exercise test with peak flow or FEV1 afterwards, and a urine test. Audiometry is done at the first medical. Chest X-ray, ECG and a full blood count are done only when clinically indicated.

EDTC differs in detail: no routine chest X-ray, a resting ECG at the first assessment, and audiometry only after ear barotrauma or under a hearing conservation programme. The divers medical package arranged through OSHMed at Nova Care covers blood and urine tests, ECG, chest X-ray, spirometry, audiometry, the Chester step test and a doctor’s consultation, so check what your client’s form needs.

What is the Chester step test, and why do divers take it?

The Chester step test is a submaximal, multistage aerobic fitness test. You step on and off a low step to a beat that speeds up every two minutes while your heart rate is recorded, until you reach 80% of your maximum heart rate or moderately vigorous effort, for up to 10 minutes.

Software then estimates your VO2 max. HSE MA1 asks for it at every medical because divers may need to rescue themselves or a buddy, with peak flow or FEV1 checked before the test and again afterwards. As a guide, HSE suggests a 12-month certificate for a VO2 max above 44, a shorter or restricted one for 40 to 44, and usually unfit below 40 (millilitres of oxygen per kilogram per minute). EDTC sees the estimate as an indicator, not a pass mark.

How long is a diving medical valid, and when should you renew it?

Under HSE MA1, a certificate of medical fitness to dive is valid for up to 12 months, and working divers must be examined at least every 12 months. You can attend up to one month early, and the new certificate can start from the old expiry date.

EDTC prefers an annual review with an in-depth examination about every five years for young, healthy divers, and says national rules override its guidance, so confirm the interval with your client. A recreational card, often called a diving licence, is separate: PADI certifications do not expire.

What can make a diver unfit, and what happens after an illness?

HSE MA1 lists pregnancy, large lung cysts or bullae, seizures (with limited exceptions), claustrophobia and sickle cell anaemia as reasons not to dive. A previous spontaneous pneumothorax, asthma or diabetes needs a diving medical specialist’s opinion. The doctor can also certify you fit with restrictions on depth, duration or type of diving.

A fresh assessment is needed, even with a valid certificate, after decompression illness or any illness or injury causing more than 14 days off work.

Do recreational divers need a doctor's approval?

Not always. The Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire used by dive training agencies has 10 questions. If you answer no to all of them, no medical evaluation is required. A yes to questions 3, 5 or 10, or to any item on page two, means a physician must approve diving first.

The form comes from the Diver Medical Screen Committee with UHMS and DAN. Page three is the doctor’s evaluation form, so bring all three pages.

How do you choose a provider for a diving medical examination?

Check four things: the examining doctor is trained to examine divers, the examination follows the standard your client names, the certificate states fit, fit with restrictions or unfit with a validity period, and your previous records can be compared. A certificate your client rejects means a second appointment.

OSHMed Solutions Sdn Bhd is an occupational safety and health consultancy in Kajang, Selangor, serving employers across Malaysia. We are not a clinic. We coordinate bookings, check your client’s form and organise group appointments. The examination is carried out and billed by our partner clinic, Nova Care Sdn Bhd, No. 32 Jalan Reko Sentral 4, Kajang, where the examining doctor issues the certificate. On request, we can confirm the doctor’s competence listing. For a team, request a group booking quote or see our services.

Before you decide: three common objections

Three objections often delay a diving medical: a dive card seems enough, last year’s medical feels recent, and the client has not named a standard. Each is checked below against HSE MA1, EDTC and the diver questionnaire before your project starts.

"My dive card is enough."

A card shows training, not current fitness. It does not expire, but courses and work still need medical clearance.

"I had a medical last year."

An HSE certificate lasts up to 12 months, and a long illness calls for a new assessment. Check expiry against your project end date.

"The client has not named a standard."

Ask first: a medical done to the wrong form may need repeating. Without a preference, a medical recorded against HSE MA1 or EDTC gives a clear record.

Frequently asked questions

Your next step

Start with the form: ask your client which standard applies, check your last expiry date and use the planner above. Then send us your group booking details or WhatsApp OSHMed. This article is general information, not medical advice; the examining doctor decides fitness to dive.

Planning other checks for the team? See medical surveillance and first aider training.

Sources and references

Disclaimer: This article is general information for employers and is not legal advice. Requirements depend on your workplace, processes and the current law. For a decision on your premises, speak to a DOSH-registered competent person or contact DOSH (JKKP).