P FERRY SAFETY
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Concerns surface over ferry safety enforcement ability
By Chris Tindall DOUBTS ARE BEING raised about how the government can enforce industry-wide codes of practice relating to ferry securing rings after at least two agencies appeared to distance themselves from carrying out inspections.
Following an incident in which a Turners (Soham) lorry crashed through the stern doors of a Siena ferry and fell into port water, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) recommended VOSA and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) launch a programme of lorry inspections in order to identify vehicles not complying with ferry securing arrangements (`Turners disputes
tanker ferry accident findings'. CM 8 October 2009).
MAIB's report into the Siena Voyager accident found that the majority of freight vehicles arriving for embarkation on ferries in UK and other European ports do not have the recommended number of ferry securing rings fitted, and a significant percentage has no securing rings-.
However, Freight Transport Association head of engineering policy Andy Mair says this is a sea issue and not a roadworthiness one, and is beyond VOSA's remit.
VOSA says it has responded to MA1B concerning which of the recommendations it will be 'implementing, action planning, partially accepting or rejecting'? A VOSA spokeswoman says it will inform transport operators about the safety issues, but adds: "Currently, VOSA does not have any legal powers to enter ports without the permission of the relevant port authority. Should examiners identify roadworthiness defects during vehicle inspections, they will apply an appropriate sanction level in line with VOSA's Categorisation of Defects."
Mair adds: "Since the current Categorisation of Defects does not stray into the area of ferry rings, I can't see how enforcement action can be taken: the only action that can be taken is if rings are found to be insecure and likely to detach from the vehicle."
An MCA source tells CM it "partially accepts" the MAUI recommendation, and will also issue guidance, but it can't confirm it will conduct any inspections.