The UK Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC) was developed in 2000 and offers a national standard for

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...

safety in the UK with the aim to "improve safety for those who use or work in ports, their ships, passengers and cargoes, and the environment". Creation of the Code was prompted by a review of the

Pilotage Act 1987 The United Kingdom's Pilotage Act 1987 is an Act of Parliament that governs the operation of maritime pilotage. The Act repealed the previous pilotage legislation in its entirety, the Pilotage Act 1983, which itself had repealed the Pilotage A ...

undertaken in 1998 by the

Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions was a United Kingdom Cabinet position created in 1997, with responsibility for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). The position and department ...

in the aftermath of the 1996

Sea Empress The MV ''Sea Empress'' was a single-hull Suezmax oil tanker that ran aground at the entrance to the Milford Haven harbour on the southwest coast of Wales in February 1996. The ensuing oil spill, Britain's third largest oil spillage and the 12t ...

disaster. All

Harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...

Authorities are expected to comply with the Code. As the Code is not statutory, failure to comply is not an offence in itself, but the Code does set out references to legal duties that do exist and not adhering to it may be indicative of a breach of those duties. The Code is subject to a triennial review process by a steering group of maritime organisations. It was reissued in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2016.Port Marine Safety Code, 2016, Department for Transport
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References

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References

See also