Marine safety management system

North Yorkshire Council, as the statutory harbour authority for the ports of Whitby, Scarborough and Filey Coble Landing has committed to upholding the recommendations of the Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC).

As part of our commitment to promote and facilitate the safe navigation and operation of vessels within the statutory limits of Scarborough and Whitby harbours, North Yorkshire Council will:

1. Implement and maintain a marine safety management system to safeguard its harbours, its users and the environment.
2. Consult with employees, stakeholders / customers and the wider community regarding marine safety issues.
3. Develop a risk assessed approach to identify hazards and risks implementing control measures to reduce these to as low as practicable.
4. Ensure that emergency plans are in place.
5. Act as a competent harbour authority and provide a professional pilotage service.
6. Employ suitably qualified personnel and provide training as required to maintain a quality workforce.
7. Provide sufficient resources to maintain port facilities and functions.
8. Monitor and manage the safe navigation of all vessels within harbour limits.
9. Provide and promulgate marine safety information advice to harbour users and to consult with stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
10. Maintain the conservancy of the harbours, undertaking dredging operations as necessary to maintain as far as practicable charted depths and to provide and maintain navigational aids assisting safe harbour passages.
11. Monitor and measure performance of the safety management system through internal/external audit and publish the performance results.

Marine safety management system

As the harbour authority, North Yorkshire Council has a  safety policy linked to the safety plan (pdf / 143 KB) which commits the harbour authority to a duty to design and implement a risk based safety management system (SMS) for its harbour undertakings.

This SMS will be developed and managed by the harbour master and his officers and where necessary in consultation with harbour users and stakeholders. The monitoring and assessment of the SMS will be undertaken by the ‘designated person’ in combination with harbour staff.

Internal and external audits will be completed to assess the SMS performance and compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code. 

 Read our Port Marine Safety Code statement of compliance (pdf / 162 KB).

The ‘designated person’ shall provide independent assurance to the ‘duty holder’ that the SMS, for which the duty holder is ultimately responsible, is working effectively.

The duty holder’s responsibility and accountability cannot be assigned or delegated on the grounds that they do not have particular skills.

The duty holder for Whitby, Scarborough and Filey is our executive management, Karl Battersby, Corporate Director of Environment.

The position of designated person, is currently held on an interim basis by Mr Callum McKeon, our Assistant Director of Regulation and Harbours, who has direct access to the duty holder.