Port Skills and Safety

Following the success of the Safer Ports Initiative (see below) there has been overwhelming support within the ports industry to maintain the improvement in health and safety standards through the creation of a second phase of the Initiative.

Safer Ports Initiative 2 (SPI 2) was launched on 10 May 2006, on HQS Wellington, London. The event was hosted by Des Crampton, Chairman of PSS. Around 80 senior representatives from throughout the ports industry, attended the launch, to lend their support to the Initiative and demonstrate the wide commitment to achieve continuous improvement. The speakers, at the launch, reflected the partnership approach to the Initiative:

• Minister of State for Transport – Dr Stephen Ladyman MP
• Group Chief Executive of ABP Holdings plc – Bo Lerenius CBE
• Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission – Bill Callaghan
• Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency – John Astbury CBE
• Senior Policy Officer in the Organisation and Services Department at the Trades Union Congress – Hugh Robertson

The Shipping Minister stressed that, “Safety should not be seen as a cost… A safe working environment can be an effective environment and a profitable environment.”

Research by PSS, identified some of the reasons why the Safer Ports Initiative was successful in reducing industry accident rates. Significantly, the focus on improving skills to enhance health and safety and business performance was a central message. Accordingly, SPI 2 will focus on promoting the business case for an integrated approach to health, safety and skills through the central themes of:

• Leadership

• Sensible risk management

• Industry standards, qualifications and training opportunities

• Worker involvement

• Sharing good practice and partnership working

As part of SPI 2, a series of regional events will be held around the UK to promote the themes of the Initiative.

In addition, PSS is working in conjunction with the industry partners represented on the National Committee and through the Maritime Skills Alliance to establish, by 2010, a UK framework that will assist the industry in ensuring that the ports sector has the safe, healthy and competent workforce that it needs to fulfil its objectives and responsibilities. In doing so, the current focus is on creating:

• Authoritative health and safety guidance, based on national and international benchmarks
• A flexible qualifications structure reflecting national and regional needs
• Flexible career paths
• Guidance on the use of industry National Occupational
• Standards (NOS) for management functions
• Promoting the uptake of industry qualifications and standards for health, safety and skills at all employee levels

Safer Ports Initiative 2 will be benchmarked and monitored through a combination of continuous improvement in accident rates and qualitative targets.

Please contact PSS should you require any further information on Safer Ports Initiative 2 or if you would like to volunteer to host a SPI 2 regional event.

Success of the Safer Ports Initiative
In 2002, the Safer Ports Initiative (SPI) set demanding targets for the ports industry, to:

• to reduce the incidence rate of reportable fatal and major injury accidents by 10% by the end of 2005;
• to reduce the incidence rate of reportable over 3 day accidents (not including reportable fatal and major injury accidents) by 20% by the end of 2005.

The benchmark for the targets was the 2001 accident statistics collated by Port Skills and Safety (PSS) on behalf of its subscribers.

By 2004, the targets set had been achieved and significantly exceeded:

A dedicated website for the Safer Ports Initiative has been created by the partner organisations and is freely accessible at www.saferports.org.uk.
The website will be regularly updated as SPI 2 develops.