London launches safe boarding week
The Port of London Authority (PLA) has begun its first ever ‘Safe Boarding Week’, a seven-day safety initiative said to be the first of its kind in Europe.
Beginning on 27 February ‘Safe Boarding Week’ aims to increase awareness of safe access to and from vessels along the 95 miles of the tidal Thames that is in the PLA’s jurisdiction.
Throughout the week, the PLA will be inspecting the boarding facilities of cargo and passenger vessels, as well as terminal operators, jetties and piers.
Responsibility for safe access on and off the vessels on the tidal Thames is shared between the master of the ship or vessel and the jetty or terminal operators, many of whom choose to abide by the Port Marine Safety Code. The PLA’s assessments will be used to inform further safety improvements to safe boarding on the River Thames.
PLA’s chief harbour master Bob Baker said that ‘safety was at the heart of the what the PLA does every day’. “By launching this week-long safety initiative, we are taking a proactive approach to safe vessel access on the River Thames,” he said.
More information can be found at the PLA’s website.
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