Safety
Because of their highly operational nature, ports are potentially hazardous places, both on the landside, where cargo handling takes place, and on the marine side, where vessels have to manoeuvre, often in shallow water, in close proximity to the coast or to other vessels. To improve the industry’s safety performance , UKMPG and the British Ports Association took the initiative in 2002 in setting up a subsidiary – Port Skills and Safety (PSS). PSS provides advice and support on safety and training matters for the whole industry, with increasingly close links to the shipping sector through the recently created Ports and Shipping Partnership.
The industry has collaborated with the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in producing the Port Marine Safety Code, which gives comprehensive guidance to harbour authorities on the exercise of their responsibilities on the safety of navigation. The impetus for this initiative was the grounding of Sea Empress in the entrance to Milford Haven in 1996. DfT’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch carry out marine accident investigations and make recommendations which ports give high priority to implementing.
Port Skills and Safety – www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk
Marine Accident Investigation Branch – www.maib.gov.uk
