Award Nomination:
Portsmouth International Port has been redeveloping its health and safety system to digitalise but also to steadily change the culture of the organisation embedding increased responsibility, knowledge and empowerment into the supervisory level of the team.
A significant part of this development has hinged upon providing a more formalised and consistent health and safety education to our team with a major part being the introduction of mandatory Managing Safely in Ports courses for all supervisors and above (where they do not have equal or better H&S qualifications already).
Working through Port Skills and Safety, Portsmouth have had ABP, our traditional local competition, deliver 3 courses at the port. By making these PSS courses we have benefitted from having different view points from ports handling a variety of products and vessels enriching the discussions and bringing an additional layer to the importance of having a consistent ‘base’ course for the industry.
Additional Information:
Portsmouth International Port have typically encouraged management to undertake Nebosh qualifications where there are roles with increased health and safety risks (operations, pilotage, engineering) whilst H&S courses for supervisory level have been through internal courses or ad hoc.
By changing the focus of formalised training to our supervisors the aim was to provide better knowledge, understanding and practical tools to assist the teams with ensuring that they had confidence and buy in of the processes at that level.
Managing safely in ports is widely recognised as a port industry qualification and one that, when well delivered, meets the needs above.
By working with ABP, the two organisations shared best practice, analysed and discussed how our safety systems work, where there are similarities and differences and have built a shared understanding that there should not be any competition when it comes to making sure our industry staff are safe.
ABP delivered a very polished, energised and engaging set of courses with participants stating that not only were they some of the best delivered courses they have had in health and safety but in any training!
To further embed the training, PIP have followed this up with Human Factors courses for our teams which have supported our staff in developing their behavioural skills as well as the technical ones that the MSiP taught. ABP are now looking at potentially taking on something similar for their teams showing a true benefit to both parties.
The MSiP has now ensured that that majority of our management and supervisory staff have this course as a minimum level of training and some of the biggest changes have happened in previously overlooked teams such as procurement, marketing and IT who are all now much more aware of the influence and responsibility they have in regard to the whole of the port’s health and safety system.
Saheed Onisemo, HSE Trainer – ABP Academy and Chris Hatter, Head of Compliance – Portsmouth International Port