UK ships 'missing safety tests'

[JK]

Is this where we are going in Canada with ship inspections and auditing of Class?

British merchant navy ships could be operating below safety standards because not enough inspections are being done, a watchdog has warned.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is struggling to meet its target for inspecting UK-registered vessels, according to the National Audit Office.

Auditors say there is a risk of vessels which do not comply with international or UK regulations operating undetected.

The MCA says it is working to recruit more experienced maritime surveyors.

The agency is responsible for the safety, security and environmental standards of UK-registered vessels and other ships while in UK waters.

In 2000, the government began taxing shipping companies on tonnage rather than profits in a bid to stem the decline in the fleet's size.

Inspections abroad

This led to a sharp increase in the size of the UK-flagged merchant fleet, from 1,050 in 2000 to 1,518 by the end of 2007.

National Audit Office head Tim Burr said the agency had coped with this by using staff more efficiently and delegating more survey work.

But he added: "With fewer surveyors, the agency is now struggling to inspect the increased fleet, which could put at risk the quality advantage of the UK flag."

The report also said that more than half the UK fleet did not visit a British port in 2007, meaning surveyors often had to travel as far afield as Singapore, Uruguay and Australia to inspect vessels.

MCA chief executive Peter Cardy said the missed inspections were "a direct result of the difficulties in finding and retaining the people with the right skills and the competition for experienced maritime surveyors".

"We have plans to improve our recruitment," he added.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/u ... 881246.stm

Published: 2009/02/11 02:25:53 GMT

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[ArkSeaJumper]

There hit record is being hit by the 'Work to rule' ongoing labour problems in the UK.

The MCA are a very poorly payied lot.