The latest Health Check Trends for the Port Marine Safety Code report has been published. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publish this report on an annual basis to highlight areas found to require improvement as well as offering examples of good practice.

This year’s Health Check Trends for the Port Marine Safety Code report summarises the findings from seven visits made by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) during 2016 and early 2017. Three private ports, three municipal ports and one Trust Port were visited.

Areas identified in need of improvement include Duty Holder awareness of roles and responsibilities under the Code, risk assessment review following incident/accident reports and local customs and practices not being captured within the Marine Safety Management System (MSMS). These are continuing themes, the same topics were identified in previous Health Check Trends’ reports.

Additionally this report identifies a need for an improvement in: 

• Audit and review procedures,
• Defining senior management roles in the MSMS;
• Failure to report accident/incidents to the MAIB as required;
• The suitability of providing the Designated Person role with harbour staff; and
• The incorporation of relevant guidance from the Port Marine Safety Code and associated Guide to Good Practice into the MSMS.

The report also highlights best practice observed at ports visited, such as, retaining evidence that safety notices have been supplied to Masters, and using training videos during inductions for mooring operations.

Notably, during the Health Checks it is evident that the MCA is also considering guidance given by other publications such as the ACOP Safety in Docks. An example being the spacing of quayside ladders and the provision of lifebuoys, noted as feedback in Health Check comments.

The MCA seeks to undertake eight PMSC health checks annually, aiming to visit a range of different types of organisation across all parts of the UK. It is apparent from the 2016 report that “future health checks will continue to have a particular emphasis on supporting smaller harbours, lochs or ports and particularly those under municipal ownership, whilst ensuring that larger facilities are also compliant.”

The full report can be downloaded from the gov.uk website.

ABPmer provides independent port audits (health checks), Duty Holder training, Designated Person services, Navigational Risk Assessments and risk management software (MarNIS).

For more information visit our Port Risk Management microsite