Marine Operations Code for Ports: Bulletin No.23 (October 2000)

Bulletin No.23 - October 2000

Port Marine Safety Code

The Port Marine Safety Code has now been published.

Copies of the Code (ISBN 1 85112 365 2) are priced at £10.

The publications home page contains information on how and where you can obtain publications produced by the Department for Transport.

There is no e-mail ordering facility at present.

It is also possible to view and download the Code from the Department's web site from the link at the bottom of this page.

Implementing the Code

The Department circulated to all CHAs at the end of June an enquiry about progress with implementing the Code. Returns were due by 31 August and there has been a substantial response by that date.

So far, reports are most encouraging, indicating that the industry is ahead of expected progress. Virtually every authority responding has already embarked on risk assessment. Many note the likely time commitment for their staff and progress may therefore slow in the coming months; but virtually every authority is confident at this stage of completing implementation by the end of 2001.

Partly to validate the monitoring arrangements used, a reminder has been sent to authorities not responding to the first letter and a good response has been received to this too - reporting similar progress.

The Department will report progress so far to representative bodies meeting later in October and will then send a report to all respondents - which will be summarised in the next bulletin. It will identify the main concerns of ports and how these can be met.

Some of the concerns arise from the better than expected progress to date - authorities are running ahead of the development of the Guide to Good Practice. They are looking in particular for guidance on risk assessment, and on auditing of systems. The Department will need to appeal to the industry at large for examples of good practice which can be shared especially with small ports that have limited resources.

Occupational standards

The last bulletin reported that the national occupational standard for pilots was accredited in July. It has now been printed and is available from BPIT. Further work is needed on statements of generic and local knowledge to be published as a separate booklet. The group working on the harbour master standard did not meet as planned on 19 September and will do so at the end of October prior to releasing their draft for general comment.

The next step on pilotage is to develop assessment criteria - both for authorisations and exemptions. It had been hoped to begin by now a survey of present practice, but preparatory discussions with the port associations had to be held over and will resume following the next meeting of representative bodies.

Further details on this part of the project, and copies of available drafts, are obtainable from BPIT (e-mail info@bpit.co.uk).

Guide to Good Practice

The first draft of this document was circulated with a deadline for initial comments of 31 August. Copies may be downloaded freely from the Department's web site (details above).

Chapters on consultation and accountability were circulated subsequently. The Department is now leading drafting of a further chapter on environmental management but that will not be available before October.

These further chapters will be added to the web site as drafts are released.

The responses so far from harbour authorities is again very positive - with a widespread view that the draft is well-pitched and serviceable. The Department accepts observations that the layout of the Guide might be closer to that of the Code. Its main concern is that the present text (once reviewed) needs augmenting with varied examples of good practice. It will make an appeal for these later in October.

Possible legislation

A further note on possible legislation will issue once a firm conclusion has been reached about the prospects and timing of a Bill.

As reported last month, the Department has also issued a consultation paper on port-related legislation, dealing with various corporate governance proposals in the reviews of pilotage and trust ports.

Copies are available from the usual contacts in Ports Division although the deadline for comment has passed.

Representative bodies

The next meeting of national representative bodies with whom the Department is working on this project has been scheduled for 18 October.

Seminars

The Code project was presented in different ways to a north east trust ports seminar in Newcastle on 28 September; and the BPA Conference on 4 October. It will be presented to the Nautical Institute London Branch on 11 October (space limited); to the UKHMA seminar in London on 1 November (which usually sells out); and to NUMAST's Ship Masters' Forum in Wallasey on 12 December.

Ports Division
Department for Transport,
Zone 2/29,
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DR

Tel: 020 7944 5069
Fax: 020 7944 2188
e-mail: andrew.burr@dft.gsi.gov.uk