Marine Operations Code for Ports: Bulletin No.8 (July 1999).
Bulletin No.8 - July 1999
This is the eighth of a series of monthly bulletins issued by the Department to report progress with development of a Marine Operations Code for Ports, following recommendations in the Department's review of the Pilotage Act Department's review of the Pilotage Act 1 . Copies of bulletins will be made available on request.
Background
The review of the Pilotage Act 1987 followed a Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the SEA EMPRESS. The report's main proposal was that a "Marine Operations Code for Ports" should be developed, covering all port safety functions, and not just pilotage. The first bulletin, issued in December 1998, reported progress to date.
Enquiries and submissions on the Code should be made to Andrew Burr at the above address. They may also be made there to Colin Morris, Cameron Clark and Jackie Shaw (e-mail addresses are the same substituting the appropriate name).
Drafting the Code
A new draft has been completed at the end of June which has been circulated to those who have been contributing to the project, and is available to others on request.
The main new elements are -
- a draft preface
- a modified style highlighting key points for each chapter
- a revised version of chapter 7 on safety assessment and management
- a new chapter 9 on directions including passage planning
- new chapter 10 and 11 on pilotage services and pilotage exemption
Additional chapters have to be drafted on:
- towage
- harbour boats (eg pilot launches, line boats, etc)
- performance measurement and audit
Comments are invited on the new draft by the end of August 1999.
Representative Bodies
A further meeting of representative bodies is to be held on 16 July to review progress and to agree outstanding work. The following meeting will be on 15 September with the main purpose of discussing proposed requirements on pilotage and pilotage exemption.
Competence Standards
British Ports Industry Training has secured funding to develop competence standards as required to support the Code. A steering group met on 8 June and there was a lengthy and interesting discussion on core competences for pilots. The next meeting is on 21 July. A series of perhaps five further meetings are likely at roughly monthly intervals.
Arrangements will be made in due course to consult widely on the proposals. A promise has also been given to brief maritime training colleges - probably in September.
Best Practice Guide
UK Major Ports Group harbour masters have undertaken to assemble material for a best practice guide and a meeting to review this, and decide how to consult on it, will be held on 13 July.
Review of Competent Harbour Authorities
A total of 44 authorities have been approached in this exercise, including those which failed to respond to the survey undertaken during the review of the Pilotage Act 1987. Work so far has identified a significant group of authorities for whom pilotage powers do not appear to be appropriate. Enquiries on this should be addressed to Cameron Clark (see above).
Presentations
A presentation on the Marine Operations Code for Ports has been included in the Conference Schedule for the Seawork exhibition in Southampton on 8 July.
Ports Policy Paper
As already noted, the Department is developing a wide-ranging ports policy paper as a supporting document to the Integrated Transport White Paper published in 1998. It will be published later this year, and will set out (among much else) the policy on which the Code is based. Contacts for enquiries on this are the same as for the Code.
1: Review of Pilotage Act 1987 (published by The Stationery Office July 1998) ISBN 0 11 753471 4
