A UK diving instructor has been fined after falsifying a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commercial diving medical certificate.
Stuart Elmes, of Bournemouth, falsified the document in March 2025 while seeking employment as a PADI instructor. The certificate was identified by a local diving school, which reported it to HSE.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive, supported by the Approved Medical Examiners of Divers board, confirmed the certificate had been falsified.
Commercial divers must hold a valid medical certificate issued by an HSE-approved doctor under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997. This requirement is a key safeguard for both the diver and those they train or work with.
Elmes pleaded guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 17 April 2026 to breaching Section 33(1)(m) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £700 and ordered to pay £2,620 in costs plus a £280 victim surcharge.
HSE diving inspector Christopher Booker said: ‘Diving commercially is a high-risk activity. Being assessed as medically fit to work underwater, including when providing diver training, is an essential part of ensuring safety — not only for the individual but also for their students and colleagues.
‘Stuart Elmes falsified an HSE diving medical certificate and used it to seek employment in the recreational diving industry.
‘HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those found to be in possession of, or using, falsified fitness to dive certificates.’
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