The UK Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP, has launched the inaugural Maritime Safety Week, running from 9 to 13 July, as part of the government’s efforts to share knowledge of safety practices and to highlight the work which is already being done across the diverse shipping industry to strive for safety excellence.
As an island nation the UK has always depended on the seafarers, shipping and the wider maritime industry for prosperity, but safety isn’t just a concern for professional mariners who undertake their roles in what are often difficult and dangerous circumstances.
‘All users of the maritime environment, from recreational mariners to casual beach goers, need to understand the risks,’ the Minister noted on the occasion.
To succeed, the Department for Transport is requesting the industry’s help and has established Maritime Safety Week to provide an opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge, experience and best practice which the industry has and to increase the understanding of what the sector is already doing to respond to the safety challenges it faces as well as plans for the future.
In particular, the UK Department of Transport is seeking to stimulate conversations and make connections under the banner of the Maritime Safety Week logo and the hashtags: #maritimesafetyweek and #maritimesafetymatters. The department is also welcoming ideas, plans and initiatives from industry using the email address [email protected] for any queries and assistance.
The initiative has been praised by several maritime experts across the industry, as a focal point to recognise the contributions and celebrate success in the area of safety.
This move comes at a time when new innovations and conditions, such as Brexit and vessel automation, create different hazards, redefining the safety scope for the maritime, noted at the National Bruce Craig, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons.
On the occasion of the Maritime Safety Week, Steamship Mutual P&I Club reiterated the launch of its safety posters to visually communicate best practices of ship safety for crewmembers in four key areas: Working Safely, Stay Shipshape, Collision Avoidance, and Health & Hygiene.
Steamship Mutual Loss Prevention posters: Today we are looking again at the Protective Headwear poster. See the full series on the Steamship website and the #SteamshipMutualApphttps://t.co/uDbuvTCHoe pic.twitter.com/f8jk6ThYYG
— Steamship Mutual (@SteamshipMutual) July 9, 2018
In line with the safety week theme, the UK Club announced it is initiating a series of educational, reflective-learning, training videos, featuring solutions and preventative strategies to mitigate the risk of accidents like those portrayed happening again.
