The Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC, now known as the Ports & Marine Facilities Safety Code) applies to all UK harbour authorities; the Code aims to improve safety in ports and to enable authorities to manage their marine operations to a nationally agreed standard.  As part of the Code there is a requirement for harbour authorities to seek an independent and systematic audit to ensure that the Marine Safety Management System (Marine SMS) is being operated effectively.

We undertook a PMSC ‘health check’ and benchmarking to confirm compliance against eight key requirements for the Shetland Islands Council’s many ports and harbours.

Our audit also determined whether the Marine SMS is compliant with the Code and how the Harbour Authority has addressed the requirements of navigational risk assessments and reflective accident/incident investigation.

Our maritime risk specialists are dedicated to helping ports and other marine operators meet the requirements of the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code, regularly developing and auditing Safety Management Systems.