Port Marine Safety Code Health Inspection Trends of 2018
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has announced plans to conduct eight Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC) health inspections annually across various types of organisations in the UK. These health assessments, aimed at ensuring safety, productivity, and efficiency, will be carried out at private, trust, duchy, and municipal facilities.
In 2018, the MCA conducted seven PMSC health evaluations, which included visits to facilities under municipal, private, trust, duchy, and possibly other organisational structures. The MCA conducted three PMSC health checks at private facilities, two at municipal facilities, and one at a duchy facility. However, specific details about the number of checks conducted at trust and duchy facilities were not provided.
The 2018 PMSC health inspections revealed several perennial issues that have been identified in successive health check trend reports. These issues are suggested to be a focus for organisations moving forward. Two organisations were found not fully compliant during the 2018 checks and will receive return visits in 2019.
Future PMSC health evaluations will also include a number of larger ports, with a particular emphasis on supporting smaller harbors or ports, especially those under municipal ownership. The search results do not provide specific information regarding the authorities that will be visited by the MCA in 2019 to review identified issues in non-fully compliant organisations.
The MCA encourages the industry to consider the enhancements mentioned in the report and determine if any might be applicable to their organisations. Good practices identified during the PMSC health inspections can be shared among ports to further improve overall safety, productivity, and efficiency.
It is noteworthy that the article does not mention any changes in the types of facilities where PMSC health checks will be conducted in 2019 compared to 2018. Furthermore, the article does not provide information about the types of organisations that will be visited during the 2019 PMSC health evaluations.
The MCA's commitment to conducting regular PMSC health inspections underscores its dedication to maintaining high safety standards in the UK's maritime industry. The agency's efforts to share best practices and support smaller ports are also commendable, as they contribute to a safer, more productive, and efficient maritime environment for all.
