Marine Operations Code for Ports: Bulletin No.26 (January 2001)

Bulletin No.26 - January 2001

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.

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.

The Department has circulated a further package of documents to harbour authorities and representative bodies. Copies are available on request by e-mail.

General progress

A note has been distributed on the response to a monitoring exercise run at the end of June. This note reports that general progress was found to be good. It also discusses some of the issues reported by authorities.

There will not be a similar monitoring exercise at the end of December because of the positive response last time. Authorities are, however, invited to report if they have encountered new problems likely to impede their implementation of the Code.

The note was accompanied by a report of the meeting of representative bodies held in October.

Assessment criteria

A meeting was held in late November to discuss the development of assessment criteria to enable the recently accredited national occupational standards for pilots to be brought into use. These are also needed to implement MAIB's recommendations in the report on the SEA EMPRESS. It has been proposed to develop in parallel competence and assessment guidelines for pilotage exemption.

Following this meeting, the Department has issued a letter to the harbour masters who assisted with development of the pilot occupational standard seeking information about how it will be used when their authorities determine and apply the qualifications for pilot authorisation. They have also been asked to consider pilotage exemption.

This letter has also been sent to representative bodies: the Department is open to suggestions on how this phase of the work might be progressed.

Guide to Good Practice

The Department has also issued a second draft of the Guide to Good Practice on Port Marine Operations. This document is being placed on the DETR web site. Its issue was accompanied by a detailed note on outstanding points, and a plea for examples of good practice.

It has been proposed to take a phased approach to responses to this draft, with the sections on accountability, consultation and safety management systems having priority. There are therefore two dates for comments - 31 January for these section, and 28 February for others.

The British Ports Association is also collecting from its members examples on good practice, especially on risk assessment. They would be happy to provide more information about what is available on request by any harbour authority implementing the Code.

Occupational standards

The national occupational standard for pilots was accredited in July. It is available from BPIT. Further work is in progress on statements of generic and local knowledge to be published as a separate booklet. The group working on the harbour master standard has not met recently but is progressing by correspondence prior to releasing their draft for general comment. Further details on this part of the project, and copies of available drafts, are obtainable from BPIT (e-mail info@bpit.co.uk).

On 17 November 2000 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency accredited South Tyneside College, Faculty of Nautical Science for their course for the training of Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) operators. This is the first training institute world-wide to be accredited to IALA recommendation V-103 standards by a national competent authority. Details are available from MCA (web site address www.mcga.gov.uk )

Discussion will be resumed shortly on how to develop from this work a national occupational standard to place alongside those for pilots and other port marine professionals.

Possible legislation

The Queen's Speech announced plans to draft a Safety Bill, included some port-related items. A further announcement will be made in due course on the detail.

Ports Policy Paper

The Department's Ports Policy Paper, Modern Ports, was published on 27 November. Copies are available from DETR's Publication Sales Centre (not the above address) (tel. 01709 891318) @ £12 each. Copies of the text only are available freely on the DfT web site (also from a link at the bottom of this page).

The Stationery Office also published on the same day a background statistical document, Focus on Ports, which is available from them (in the usual way or by telephone - 08760 600 5522 or fax - 08760 600 5533) - but also not from the above address @ £32.