Dear Consultee,

Consultation “Lifeboats: Fall Preventer Devices to reduce the danger of accidental on-load hook release”

Your comments are invited on the proposed MGN “Lifeboats: Fall Preventer Devices to reduce the danger of accidental on-load hook release”.

The concept of ‘Fall Preventer Devices’ has been agreed at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and this document gives guidance on the approval, operation, use and training requirements.

Please refer all comments no later than October 16th 2008 to:

Capt C E Thomas
Marine Technology Unit
Maritime & Coastguard Agency
105 Commercial Road
Southampton SO15 1EG
United Kingdom

Email: colin.thomas@mcga.gov.uk
Fax: (+44) 02380 329161

Responses, and any comments that the MCA has on them, will be published on the website as soon as possible after the consultation period has finished.

Ordinarily, the consultation period extends for 12 weeks. However, in this case, there is the need to meet the deadline for submission to the IMO and so the duration has been reduced to 6 weeks. If there is likely to be a problem in individual cases inresponding within this shortened deadline, please contact the above-named to discuss.

Freedom of Information Act

Please also note that information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).

If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA,  there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence. In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.

The Department will process your personal data in accordance with the DPA and in the majority of circumstances this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.

Should you have any comments or complaints about how this consultation has been conducted please direct them to the MCA’s Consultation Co-ordinator:

Consultation Coordinator
Office of the Chief Executive
MCA
Bay 3/29, Spring Place
105 Commercial Rd
Southampton
SO15 1EG

consultation.coordinator@mcga.gov.uk Tel: 02380329189

Capt C E Thomas

Marine Surveyor

To download an editable version of this MGN Click Here (Word 250Kb)

To download a printable version of this MGN Click Here (PFD 212Kb)