Archived decisions

Contact: Tony Clatworthy, tel 01489 576387 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the activities and events on the River from 16 April 2007. Any incidents taking place after this report is distributed will be the subject of a separate Annex to be distributed at the meeting.

2. Recommendation

2.1 That the report be noted.

3. Report

3.1 The River has been patrolled daily by the Duty Harbour Master from 0700 hours through to 1830 hours up to 30 April. From 1 May the River has been patrolled from 0600 hours through to 2200 hours and on occasion through to 2300 hours and 2359 hours.

4. Incidents

4.1 16 May: Sunseeker 50 found aground at Bursledon Bend. Patrol assisted in recovering vessel.

4.2 17 May: Patrol assisted HM Coastguard in tracing a vessel in Hamble Yacht Services which was transmitting continuously on VHF Channel 16.

4.3 17 May: Patrol assisted crew of vessel with crew member suffering from an epileptic fit. Ambulance called and casualty taken to Southampton General Hospital.

4.4 24 May: Patrol stopped a small RIB from speeding and issued a written warning.

4.5 29 May: Following a report from Swanwick Marina of a stolen tender the patrol located two youths in Badnam Creek. The youths were in a tender of the same description. When challenged by the patrol the two youths ran across the marshes abandoning the dinghy. Police were called but did not attend. Tender recovered and returned to Marina. Youths were identified and a report given to Police.

4.6 30 May: Patrol attended to a 33 foot yacht which was found to be coming adrift. Vessel moored correctly and owner informed.

4.7 30 May: Patrol attended to motor vessel that had come adrift. Vessel secured and owner informed. Poor quality plastic lines should not be used to moor a vessel.

4.8 June: Patrol used the emergency power water pump to pump out a 39 foot yacht found sinking on its moorings.

4.9 June: Patrol attended to a casualty aboard a yacht moored mid-stream. Patrol transferred casualty to Hamble jetty on route to hospital.

4.10 2 June: Patrol towed a 30 foot yacht into the River suffering from engine failure.

4.11 2 June: Patrol assisted Ocean Scene, a commercial sightseeing vessel, to disembark a diabetic passenger who required immediate medical assistance and hospitalisation.

4.12 3 June: Patrol attended and towed a sailing dinghy which was recovered to Warsash.

4.13 3 June: Patrol had stones and other items thrown at them from youths on the A27 road bridge. Police were informed.

4.14 3 June: Patrol assisted by going aboard a cabin cruiser which the owner was unable to drive owing to difficulties with one engine. Owing to power surges the owner found it difficult to control. Vessel was berthed safely by patrol.

4.15 5 June: Patrol attended to powerboat found drifting in the main channel. The vessel had a warp around its propeller.

4.16 6 June: Children reported jumping from A27 Road Bridge, Reported by vessel passing underneath the bridge which they missed by 2 feet.. Police attended.

4.17 6 June: Telephone call from Police requesting patrol attend the A27 bridge owing to children jumping from the bridge. When patrol arrived no sign of police or children.

4.18 9 June: Patrol towed a yacht from the River entrance to their berth at Universal owing to engine failure. A charge was made for the tow.

4.19 9 June: Collision between 4 dinghies and a moored fishing boat on the Fisherman's Jetty at Warsash. During the incident 30 plus dinghies were being launched and the fishing boat was moored downstream. The SMS has been further inspected and no changes made. The Harbour Master has written to all commercial fishermen and the Warsash Sailing Club to put in place agreed procedures to help manage any similar incidents.

4.20 9 June: Youths removed from the Fisherman's Jetty by the patrol.

4.21 10 June: Patrol called police regarding children jumping from the A27 road bridge.

4.22 12 June: Patrol witnessed a collision between a yacht and a moored boat. Details recorded and owner informed.

4.23 12 June: Patrol had great difficulty in removing youths from Harbour Masters Jetty at Warsash and the Jetty at Hamble. There were about 20 youths on the jetty at Hamble jumping in front of craft coming alongside and putting themselves and others in danger.

4.24 12 June: Royal Southern Yacht Club (RSnYC) telephoned that they had youths jumping and swimming from their jetty. They were informed that the jetty was private and they were advised that the RSnYC had the right to eject them and to call the police. The Harbour Office will inform the Local Community Officer and will suggest that on fine days between 1600hrs and 1800hrs was a very good time to be in the area of Hamble Quay.

4.25 13 June: Patrol attempted to remove a number of youths swimming from the Harbour Masters Jetty at Warsash. They would not leave so the patrol officer called the local police. Requested to call the control room by the local officer which was done; Police did not attend. At this time the River was busy and the youths actions were dangerous to themselves and others.

4.26 15 June: Yacht in collision with moored boat. Owners informed.

4.27 16 June: Patrol towed vessel to safety that had lost engine power and had anchored in the main fairway.

4.28 16 June: Patrol attended to a yacht on the mid-stream moorings that had parted its mooring warps and was drifting across the main channel.

4.29 17 June: Patrol attended to two vessel found unattended and aground between the A27 and railway bridges. Vessel had been deliberately let go from RK Marine pontoon. Police called but did not attend.

4.30 17 June: Patrol attended Hamble Jetty to remove youths swimming and diving from the jetty.

5. Summer Timings and Staffing

5.1 Four summer coxswains have been employed from 1 May until the first week of September. The River will be patrolled during the summer period from 0600hrs until 2200hrs and on occasions through to 2300hrs and 2359hrs.

7. Police Liaison

7.1 The Harbour Office is now undertaking very close liaison with the PCSOs from Park Gate and Netley police stations. Procedures are being established to help improve the control of youths during the coming summer period.

10. 100 Years 100 Boats

10.1 On Saturday 2 June the Sea Scouts from the surrounding area celebrated one hundred years of scouting with a parade of one hundred vessels. The procession started at Swanwick Marina winding its way to Warsash. Various vessels took part in the parade from 55 foot yachts to single canoes. The day was very well organised and was a great success without any incidents.

11. List of Incidents April 2006 to March 2007

11.1 A list of incidents occurring between 1 April 2006 through to 30 March 2007 is at Annex A to this report.

12. Port Marine Safety Code Audit

12.1 On 27 June the Designated Person audited Harbour Authority compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC). The report is attached at Annex B. Annex C is the PMSC Audit Action Plan. Following the audit the Authority received a request to allow the PMSC system of the River Hamble to be used as an example of best practice during training of Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors. The MCA will then be responsible for carrying out confirmation inspections of other ports and harbours throughout the United Kingdom.

ANNEX A

RIVER HAMBLE INCIDENT REPORT

1^st April 2006 to 31^st March 2007

ANNEX B

29^th June 2007

Mr A Clatworthy

Harbour Master

River Hamble Harbour Authority

Shore Road

Warsash

Southampton SO31 9FR

Dear Sir

PORT MARINE SAFETY CODE COMPLIANCE AUDIT 27.06.07

The Port Marine Safety Code requires that the Designated Person audits the Harbour Authority's compliance with the Code and provides independent assurance to the duty holder. We report accordingly and ask that this report be presented to the Board.

We enclose a Certificate of Compliance confirming compliance with the Code subject to the contents of this report. This should be filed in Volume 4 under Tab 4 of the Safety Management System. We also enclose a notated Audit Report Form.

The opportunity was also taken at this audit to use the recently developed MCA Port Marine Safety Code Verification Visit Checklist. The MCA have recently trained some Surveyors to undertake Verification Visits and they will be using this checklist.

1. OBSERVATIONS:

1.1 CCTV

It is recognised that the current electrical supply provision is inadequate and that the solution now rests with a cable to be laid as part of current shore-side developments.

1.2 Standard Instructions and Procedures for CCTV

The SOI for CCTV and Procedure P022 should appropriately cross-reference each other.

(this has now been completed and procedure in the Standard Operating Instructions Volume 2 now make reference to the CCTV operating instructions in Volume 9)

1.3 Risk Assessments

There is a multiplicity of risk assessments. Whilst these reflect the varied responsibilities of the harbour authority they need to be brought together; probably in one "over-arching" procedure which is managed with a Status sheet.

It was agreed by the Harbour Master that the risk assessments both for navigational safety, staff H&S and planning applications had grown and these records could become unmanageable in the current format some time in the future.   It was agreed that an improved procedure would be established that would have a stepped approach to the management and ongoing review of these risks.  The new procedure would address categorization, record keeping and period of review and would be established by the Harbour Master as soon as possible.

(The risk assessments have now been assessed and categorised for reviewing six monthly, annually and three yearly )

1.4 Volume of records

Staff have been commendably diligent in maintaining records since the safety management system commenced in 2003. Moreover, the activities of the port have grown significantly in that period. The consequence is a significant number of lever-arch files with records going back several years. A cull and/or archive is suggested and consideration needs to be given to a retention/storage/disposal policy.

(The records have now been weeded with the destruction of some documents and others being sent to the archives to enable auditing procedures to be completed in the future. Due to the staff being so enthusiastic in running the system all the records had been filed over the last five years)

1.5 Incident Report Forms

Some recent IRF have not been signed-off. The implication is that senior staff have not sighted these forms. Some of these unsigned forms are in the folder for the period ended May 2007 which is no longer the "active" file and is in the bookcase with the other many folders. See

(After an investigations it was discovered the two records not signed off were found to have been fully investigated and actioned. The incidents had also appeared in previous reports to the Harbour Board - there had been an administrative error in them being filed before a signature had been obtained)

1.4 above.

1.6 Procedure for issuing Directions

There is no formal procedure for issuing Directions. This is an item on the MCA Port Verification Checklist. Consideration should therefore be given to the creation of such a procedure.

(Consideration was given to this item - the current system will remain in place whereby the Harbour Master will obtain the approval of the Harbour Board before issuing Directions and General Directions )

2. NON-CONFORMITIES:

2.1 Website

The Website for the harbour was found to contain errors, ranging from typographical errors, to incorrect Byelaws, to references to incorrect Regulations and links to revoked Notices to River Users.

The website needs a thorough review, proof reading and more control by HCC staff.

(Complete, and a new website is now functioning correctly. Local control of the website by a trained member of Harbour Authority staff is being investigated)

Date for rectification 31 July 2007

2.2 Port Waste Management Plan

This was due for review in December 2006. It is in hand and was delayed because of staff changes buy but none-the-less this was a statutory requirement under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003.

Date for rectification: HCC to complete any "own actions" by 15 July 2007

(The MCA are aware that this matter is under review and confident that the current system in place is functioning correctly and is safe. The new system will shortly be available for scrutiny by the MCA)

2.3 Designated Person

Named as Marine Enforcement in some places but specifically detailed as Consultancy4 LLP in SMS Volume 1. This needs amending as Marine Enforcement is now a trading name of regs4ships Ltd., Fletchwood House, Quayside Road, Bitterne Manor, Southampton, SO18 1DP.

Date for rectification: 6 July 2007

3. REPRESENTATION MADE TO DESIGNATED PERSON

Nil

4. CONCLUSION:

The role of the Designated Person is to provide independent assurance to the Harbour Authority that the Safety Management System is working effectively. I can, subject to the comments detailed in this report, confirm this is the case. I also confirm that I have had direct access to the highest level of the Harbour Authority.

The completed MCA Port Verification Checklist is attached to this report.

Yours faithfully

Capt. Mick Caulkin

Director

ANNEX C

Port Marine Safety Code

Compliance Audit 27. 06.07

Action Plan for Points Raised