Port Marine Safety Code

The Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code sets out a national standard for every aspect of port and marine facility safety. Its aim is to enhance safety for everyone who works in, or uses, ports, harbours, marinas and other marine facilities. It is endorsed by the UK Government, the devolved administrations and representatives from across the maritime sector and, while the Code is not mandatory, these bodies have a strong expectation that all harbour authorities will comply. Recognising the significant differences in the role, powers, duties, responsibilities and risks that different organisations have and manage, the Code is intended to be sufficiently flexible to enable its principles to be applied in a manner proportionate to local requirements.

The Code has been developed to improve safety in the port marine environment and to enable organisations to manage their marine operations to nationally agreed standards. It provides a measure by which organisations can be accountable for discharging their statutory powers and duties to run harbours or facilities safely and effectively. It also provides a standard against which the policies, procedures and performance of organisations can be measured. The Code describes the role of board members, officers and key personnel in relation to safety of navigation and summarises the main statutory duties and powers of harbour authorities.  The Code is designed to reduce the risk of incidents occurring within the port marine environment and to clarify the responsibilities of organisations within its
scope.  The Code should be read in conjunction with its companion Guide to Good Practice on Port Marine Operations. This Guide underpins the ethos of the Code by providing additional guidance and practical examples and has been written and approved by maritime professionals to assist organisations in promoting and executing safe, efficient, and accountable port marine operations based on
industry best practice.

The Code is based around 10 key measures identified as critical to the management of port and marine facility safety, which we are audited against.

1. Duty Holder: whose members are typically, individually and collectively,
accountable for compliance with the Code, and their organisation’s
performance in ensuring safe marine operations.

2. Designated Person: provides independent assurance about the
operation of the organisation’s marine safety management system and
must have direct access to the Duty Holder.

3. Legislation: the Duty Holder must be aware of and review the
organisation’s legal powers, duties and responsibilities based on
applicable local and national legislation and seek additional powers if
necessary to improve marine safety.

4. Duties & Powers: organisations must comply with any statutory duties
and responsibilities they have.

5. Risk Assessment: organisations must ensure that risks are formally
assessed and are eliminated or reduced to the lowest possible level, so
far as is reasonably practicable, in accordance with good practice.

6. Marine Safety Management System: organisations must operate an effective MSMS which is based on formal risk assessment.

7. Review & Audit: organisations must review and audit performance against applicable requirements of the Code.

8. Competence: organisations must use people who are appropriately trained, qualified and experienced to manage marine safety.

9. Plan: organisations must publish a marine safety plan showing how the standards in the Code will be met and produce a report assessing performance against that plan at least every 3 years.

10. Conservancy Duty: organisations must ensure their facilities are fit for
purpose and have a duty of reasonable care to ensure that any vessel
can utilise them safely.

The Port and Marine Facilities Safety Code