Joint marine industry inspections mark new partnership

Date:

2 February 2010

Release No:

669/SWW/10

Marine businesses across Dorset will be among the first companies in the South West to benefit from a joint Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authority (LA) partnership aimed at improving safety standards in business.

The marine sector inspection initiative will be launched on 8 February and last one week, with inspectors from HSE and Dorset LAs planning to visit up to 55 small and medium-sized businesses in the higher risk categories. These categories will include manufacturing (diving equipment, consoles, fittings, propellers, etc.), engineering, repair and maintenance, boat yards, sail-makers and chandlers.

Visits will take place in the following locations: Blandford Forum, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Portland, Swanage, Verwood, Wareham, Weymouth and Wimbourne.

These joint visits by HSE and LA inspectors will mark the newly consolidated partnership between Dorset public services bodies. Promoted under the banner of 'Workwell Dorset', the partnership between HSE and eight Dorset LAs (Christchurch, Bournemouth, Borough of Poole, East Dorset, Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, Purbeck and North Dorset) will be officially ratified at a special partnership awareness day East Dorset Council offices on 5 February.

During the inspection visits, inspectors will be looking at a range of issues including slips, trips and falls, working in confined spaces, spraying and ventilation, fire and explosion and chemical hazards. In addition to the actual visits, the Workwell Dorset officers have contacted more than 240 marine businesses to provide them with essential health and safety information via a newsletter.

Max Walker, HSE Head of Operations for the South West, said:

"This marine inspection initiative is an excellent example of our new partnership with the Dorset local authorities - we are, after all, both aiming to prevent death, injury and ill health to workers and the wider general public.

"Marine businesses vary greatly and their health and safety requirements will differ significantly. However, there will be certain common areas when it comes to the type of injuries and risks such businesses suffer and the great advantage of our new partnership visits is that the inspectors, between them, will be able to offer a wide range of expertise.

"We hope the success of this 'added value' initiative will lead to similar concentrated inspection weeks in other business sectors across Dorset - and ultimately, that the Workwell partnership concept might be spread across other county regions. You could say that local businesses are getting 'two for the price of one' when it comes to life-saving practical advice"

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Issued on behalf of the HSE by COI News and PR (South West)