Risk assessing closures

27. February 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Coastguards, CoastguardSOS, Common Sense, Environment, Government, Local Knowledge, MCA Cuts, SafetyAtSea

Last week, the Welsh Assembly called for an Independent risk assessment into HM Coastguard Closures in Wales as they believe that losing local knowledge would have a direct impact on leisure & tourism. If you read the Seaside Tragedy & Risk Blindness posts, you will begin to see the genuine fears among all of the UK’s coastal communities in relation to this announcement. There is real anger in many quarters that the whole consultation has ignored many of the concerns raised during the protracted process, with concessions only to appease the total rejection of the plan.

Every existing Coastguard rescue centre has a very unique area of our coastline and seas to build up a intimate local awareness of. The fact that the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) has failed to risk assess closures is beyond comprehension. It is only right that devolved governments, county councils and local authorities look at their situation and act in the best interest of public protection & safety. It is clear that the consultation process into closures made significant changes to the original plan, as many areas had been overlooked or ill considered. Therefore this must reinforce the need for a thorough review of the existing plan. I would even go so far as suggest that a public enquiry is needed to question why MCA has failed to produce proper risk assessments as required to do so under the relevant legislation.

TIME to stop the closures and reassess the plan in respect of public safety, which is the cornerstone of the service.

TIME all devolved governments took matters further by carrying out their own Independent risk assessments.

TIME all county councils considered the impact to their leisure & holiday industry. (Links to legislation & MCA Risk Assessments in previous post.)

Written by Coastal Joe

Seaside Tragedy

22. February 2012 · 3 comments · Categories: Coastguards, CoastguardSOS, Common Sense, Environment, Government, Local Knowledge, MCA Cuts, SafetyAtSea

Blackpool & the Fylde coast is without doubt a popular seaside resort, it may not boast the capacity crowds that typically filled the 7 miles of Golden Sand but there are plenty of visitors still coming for the attractions (averaging around 10 million- source Blackpool Evening Gazette).

However, this figure is set to grow to an estimated 85 million by 2016 (source Lancashie/Blackpool tourism) as local investment in regeneration & capital projects such as refurbished Tramway and Sea Defences aims to make the resort a bigger attraction.

The ‘Big’ question is: “Will the number of Seaside Tragedies increase?”

Any accidental death is one too many, but statistics will point to a potential rise in this type of incident due to increased visitor numbers. If Liverpool Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is closed down, as currently planned, then this will add a far more dangerous catalyst to the situation, as life expectance in the sea on Fylde coast can usually be down to minutes at the most.

Many areas of the coast are difficult for visitors to recognise as the promenade & sea defences are quite uniform in construction, so the four main references are usually the Tower and one of the three piers. Local knowledge is paramount when it comes to HM Coastguard pinpointing the exact location of each incident, any delay in this process by other Stations or the proposed National Call Centre (Maritime Operation Centre) on the South coast will result in greater loss of life!

The headlines below echo the sad fact that people are at risk when they visit the seaside, the risk cannot & should not be increased due to a Government cost saving!

“Drowning tragedy as man is swept off sea wall                            The Evening Gazette, Tuesday 5 April 2011

EYEWITNESSES described their horror after seeing a man swept to his death off Blackpool Promenade.”

“Body found amid sea search for teen                                            The Evening Gazette,  Sunday 4 October 2009

A BODY has been found as police and the coastguard called off the search for a reveller who fell into the sea at North Promenade. ”

“Teenager drowns at sea after rescue effort off Blackpool pier              The Guardian, Thursday 29 July 2010

14-year-old boy, believed to be from Northamption, drowns off Blackpool pier after going swimming with large inflatable ring. ”

I have tried to obtain facts & statistics on a yearly basis but at the time of going to press, I have not been able to get any (ongoing).

I did however get the following quote from H.M Coroner for Blackpool & The Fylde District

“It would be potentially disastrous for the Liverpool Coastguard station to close”

There has been an approximate 1 or 2 drowning(s) in the sea each year on the Flyde coast, the most significant tragedy was on 5th January, 1983, when a visitor drowned after going into the sea to rescue his dog. In an attempt to save the man, three Police Officers also drowned. This disaster resulted in stricter guidelines for all Police Officers called to any coastal incident, and highlighted the need for properly equipped specialist rescue teams to be on the scene in the shortest of possible times. There is also a worrying trend of people coming to the coast to take their own lives; three known in recent years, according to the Coroner.

We are an island with great seaside towns and fantastic, varied coastline that millions of people enjoy each year. Can we afford to close 50% of the Coastguard Regional Rescue Centres? There are many ways to make our shores safer; accidents do happen and it is immoral to reduce the chances of survival, for what is a very small cost-saving in closing Coastguard stations and their vital local knowledge.

The real impact here is on the families and communities affected by tragic deaths of this kind.

Please support the campaign to keep Liverpool MRCC open & all the other stations at risk (50% of Regional MRCC’s set to be closed).

PLEASE SIGN –  epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/4403

Written by Coastal Joe




									

			


					 

				

					
People, people who need people . . .

				

					
15. February 2012 · 2 comments					 · Categories: Coastguards, CoastguardSOS, Common Sense, Government, Local Knowledge, MCA Cuts, SafetyAtSea					


				

					
Are the luckiest people in the world.  Are you one of them? The government did propose to close most of the existing 24-hour Coastguard emergency operations centres and instead have just two – in Southampton and Aberdeen. One would hope that common sense would prevail, but no, there is still nearly half of them being closed! This greenest Government ever, has disappointed on so many levels, it’s carried on doing so here! I’d love to see some of the main players on a lifeboat in high seas, undertaking a rescue that the Coastguard has pinpointed and is co-ordinating!


There are many stories of the heroic deeds and saving of lives that our wonderful coastguards have undertaken over the years. Here’s a selection to remind you how much these Coastguard Stations are necessary, for every single minute of the twenty four hours, seven days a week and fifty-three weeks of a year. I typed ‘Coastguard saves’ into Google and got 12,800,000 results in 0.31 seconds!  And you can see why -


Local knowledge saves lives.


The first two are from this week, with Liverpool (due for closure) being called out twice!



And another incredible event from last year was on 21st September 2011 ~ Dover Coastguard saves British tourists stuck in a ravine in BRAZIL   This amazing rescue happened when Bruce Scott and Lesley Norris, who are in their early 60s and had been travelling in South America for four years, got into trouble in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest when a bridge collapsed and their motorhome dropped 30ft into a ravine.They set up camp at the side of the road for the night, and Bruce took down their GPS co-ordinates and promptly called a relative at home who, in turn, contacted the Dover Coastguard, who then forwarded the details to the international liaison station for the UK, the Falmouth Coastguard. Staff at Falmouth then contacted relevant authorities in Brazil, who sent a helicopter team to rescue the pair 200 miles south west of the city of Manaus.

									

			


					 

				

					
Risk Blindness

				

					
10. February 2012 · 11 comments					 · Categories: Coastguards, CoastguardSOS, Common Sense, Environment, Government, Local Knowledge, MCA Cuts, SafetyAtSea					


				

					
Oh, mention  Health & Safety and many people switch off or get annoyed because the term has been used so many times to stop activities & events that in the past have been taken for granted as a bit of fun, e.g. ‘Playing Conkers’


Sadly H&S is used as an excuse to stop these things because some people cannot be bothered to apply common sense and be practical about events , past-times, fun days or charity fundraising. Safety has an important role in everything we do, it’s just a matter of getting the balance right and that is where Risk needs to be understood and planned for. Yes, there are high risk activities that adrenalin junkies like participate in, but they all need some consideration.


UK Law in the form of  Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974  sets out the general duties which employers have towards employees and members of the public, and that employees have to themselves and to each other .


The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (the Management Regulations) generally make more explicit what employers are required to do to manage health and safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Like the Act, they apply to every work activity.


The main requirement on employers is to carry out a risk assessment. Employers with five or more employees need to record the significant findings of the risk assessment. Risk assessment should be straightforward in a simple workplace such as a typical office.


5 Steps to Risk Assessment: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf


Looking at Risk and determining how to remove or reduce to insignificant levels, is a fundamental requirement for all industries & employers. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that Risk Assessments need to be completed for the planned closures of HM Coastguard Stations.


Yes, the Maritime Coastguard Agency have made some attempt at evaluating the Risk involved with the current plan to close 50% of Regional Rescue Centres but have made the whole process & documentation disjointed and difficult to follow. Have a look at the post Consultation Risk Assessment here:


http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/supporting_documentation_final.pdf


In a nutshell, they have lost sight of making the process of Risk Assessment simple by breaking it down into simple problems with proper solutions.They have also lost sight of the fact that failure (however low the percentage of risk) will result in loss of life. This is Risk Blindness.


Take a simple problem: How to avoid never missing a call for help, well it’s a bit like never missing a caller at your door: you can have bells, electronic pressure switches, cameras & a big door knocker ………BUT if there is no power & the caller can’t reach the knocker, the only solution is a person on duty at the door 24/7.


The 18 HM Coastguard Region Rescue Centres need to be there 24/7, within reasonable reach of the areas that they cover. And with the local knowledge that is imperative to rescues. Then, in spite of all the technology and the systems that have a small percentage of breaking down or being wiped out by a fire at a crucial communications point, there are still Regional centres that can be operate and listen for that call for help.


One communication centre for the whole of the UK is something that every other emergency service has looked at and dismissed on the grounds of too much risk. The Fire Service abandoned their own plans to have more centralised control & coordination for just a part of the South of England, hence the availability of the building that the HM Coastguard Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) is being housed.


It is difficult to understand how Fire fighters decide there is too much risk in a similar plan, yet MCA cannot see the risk, especially when burning houses do not float away & prove extremely difficult to find unlike a postcode address. If you do look at the MCA Risk Assessment, you will notice that they are fond of reducing risk through mitigation.


My simple answer is:  When it comes to any Risk where loss of life is concerned, Risk has to be removed and there is no allowance made for failure to occur.


Save Lives, not Money: We need a NO Risk solution!     


 


Written by: Coastal Joe


 

									

			


					 

				

					
Coastguard SOS meeting – into the inner sanctum!

				

					
06. February 2012 · 3 comments					 · Categories: Coastguards, CoastguardSOS, Common Sense, Government, MCA Cuts, SafetyAtSea, Technology					


				

					
The last day of January was a significant date in the diary. Dennis @Coastguard_SOS, Graham @sosmhcoastguard and myself (@lynnerosie), met up in London and went to see the Chair of the Commons Transport Select Committee, Louise Ellman. The meeting was in Portcullis House, part of the Houses of Parliament and we were all searched and had our photos taken and recorded as we went in! Thank goodness they only get published in-house, as they resemble your worst passport photos!


Whilst we were at the desk on the first floor, waiting for Louise Ellman, we saw several MPs and well-known faces. One of them was Dr Liam Fox, MP for Somerset. As Somerset is part of the large region that Swansea coastguard is responsible for, Graham asked Dr Fox what he thought of the closures, particularly that of Swansea Coastguard Station, which would obviously affect his constituents.  He responded that he did not know of them and would look into it. Two things come out of this ~ firstly, we have to bombard our MPs with letters full of all the reasons the proposed closure of the Coastguard stations is a big mistake, HUGE mistake – we must never assume they know what is happening! And, secondly, a letter along these lines was sent to Dr Liam Fox and his reply thanked the sender for bringing this matter to his attention and continued by just giving the Government’s stance on the issue.


Into meeting room O and the talk was about how the Government campaign had been handled and where we were now. It would appear that the local knowledge, which everyone supporting the CoastguardSOS Campaign knows to be so very important in dangerous life and death situations, was dismissed relatively early. Why this should be so, shows the lack of an in-depth inquiry into the proposals given by the landlocked Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead. Mr Penning will not have too much use for the Coastguard where he lives; but for others, this fourth emergency service is the difference between life and death. His favourite word during the process has been ‘resilience’.  As a person with no actual ties to the coastguard service, other than complete respect for what they and the RNLI do each and every day, I believe the Coastguards to be very honourable men and women with enthusiasm for their job and the local knowledge that will continue to keep our coastguard service able to boast it is the best in the world – if there are no cuts! The ‘perfect storm’ would be a terrible situation to try this out!


Take a minute to digest the fact that no other emergency service has a national Operations Centre. Why? Because they simply don’t work, local knowledge saves lives! Plus, the proposed centre was supposed to be a building that was ready-for-use – hmm, I don’t think so!


L-R: Dennis, Louise Ellman, Graham


Louise Ellman is a delightful and genuine lady who really does care about what happens here. We can make a difference, we can campaign to get this looked at again, on the grounds that the consultation process has not been transparent ~ it was flawed with a lot of incorrect information; and important factors were ignored.  This is not democracy, this is autocracy – something this government excels in.


We all need to write to our MPs – click on ‘our MPs’ for the link to their details. We cannot assume that MPs are aware of changes that are taking place in their constituencies, as is shown above!


We just need to get a few more signatures on this government e-petition – Stop the closure of MCA Coastguard Stations.  We need to get 100,000 signatures – that’s not a lot, just ask all your friends, family and colleagues to drop by and sign!  The link is under the title, just click on that!


Can we do it – Yes we can!


 


Written by Lynne Gray




 


 

									

			


					 

				

					
Techno Trouble

				

					
02. February 2012 · 1 comment					 · Categories: Coastguards, CoastguardSOS, Common Sense, Environment, MCA Cuts, Oil Spills, SafetyAtSea, Technology					


				

					
Technology is fantastic, it helps us in some quite unimaginable ways but reliability is a bit frustrating at times….. PCs crash, get infected, have component failures and, worst of all, suffer from a lack of real intelligence. The human mind is much more adept at recognising wrong things/information/puzzles and solving them, sometimes instantly, without conscious effort (see example below).


It really is amazing how good the human mind is at solving the things that technology cannot at this moment in time.


The other thing that is remarkable about the mind, is the capacity to remember things such as places, local facilities, local topology, mental images of the area and relationship to nearby places. These points underline the ability that we all have to deal with problems and our capacity to solve them in a variety of different ways all with a successful outcome.


Yes, we all rely on technology but when it fails, we usually have the ability to get round the problem and get that faulty ‘technical aid’ fixed. Generally that’s what technology is for us ‘an aid’, as soon as we rely on it wholeheartedly, we start losing the skills to do the task ourselves.


So, why the preamble? …….. Well, in closing 50% of HM Coastguard Rescue Centres, the Government is banking on technology replacing people and having a cheaper service with less trained staff in the service.


A UK Central Maritime Operations Centre will be the way forward to automation of the HM Coastguard service with a heavy reliance on technology to fill in the gaps and provide many of the answers to emergencies. Useful technologies such as automatic GPS enabled VHF communications sets, Automatic identification systems fitted to vessels/navigation aids/rescue craft, ship & shore radar beacons, radio beacons and, of course, maritime GPS systems.


These technologies when integrated into HMCG in house computer modelling for tide, weather & conditions along with historical databases and a huge catalogue of place names should make quite a sophisticated control & monitoring system.


However, there are justifiable fears about this over-reliance of technology:


    

  1. You need trained experienced staff, who understand the whole maritime picture and can act independently of technology.
    2. 

  2. You cannot have every place name logged, when many are place descriptions only known locally, so by keeping data local with regional staff, place recognition is faster.
    3. 

  3. UK coastline is said to be 20,000 miles long & is quite diverse in conditions and local features which vary immensely during different tide/weather.
    4. 

  4. UK coastline hazards are changing on a daily basis and only regionalised centres can keep up to date with events.
    5. 

  5. All existing centres have a close relationship with the rescue assets that they call upon.
    6. 

  6. Human local observation can assess situations faster, recognise dangers and take actions to avert any incidents in the first place.
    7. 

  7. There is a delay in data updates which can increase with distance due to many parameters. Similarly relaying information from one end of country & back again can add vital seconds.
    8. 

  8. Technology is a help when it is working & useless when it is not, much relies on all sea users to utilise this equipment, when we are still struggling to get some people to wear car seatbelts – which is law! Wearing of lifejackets is often ignored, so how can you enforce the use of technology safety devices?
    9. 

  9. All the technology has accuracy limits & cannot be relied upon in isolation, even maritime regulations recognise this:
    10. 



Rule 5 Navigation Rules and Regulations


Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means [including radar] appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.


There are still collisions at sea every year in the UK, which remind us that technology alone cannot ensure that sea/coastal users are safe. Over reliance in technology in today’s use of GPS navigation for road users, serves as another reminder of how this can get us into trouble, and marine navigation is considerably trickier with the constant changing of channels & depths.


Recent events highlighted by the Costa Concordia disaster demonstrate the difficulties that can arise from navigation hazards. Modern highly sophisticated cruise ships like this one are designed to be able to cope with even the worst situations, however things went wrong and none of the inbuilt safety features or technology prevented the ship from capsizing with tragic consequences. The exact nature of failure will eventually be determined at the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.


Summary


The mark 1 eyeball combined with the human brain are extremely effective tools for experienced & fully trained officers and can be complemented by the correct use of technology.


There needs to be a methodical, progressive approach to technology advancements in the world’s best coastguard rescue service. I welcome any technology that aids maritime safety, but would never agree to it replacing the skill, knowledge, dedication & resourcefulness of our front-line coastguard officers.


Written by Coastal Joe