Enforcing authorities at port and dock premises

Within ports, there are a number of different enforcement authorities involved depending on the type of work being carried out. Below is a list of the different agencies with a brief explanation of the areas they cover along with a link to their websites.

Health and Safety Executive

HSE is responsible for regulating work activities carried out by shore-based workers eg stevedores both on port premises and on-board ship..

Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)

MCA is responsible for shipboard activities carried out by ships' crew, marine/maritime safety and ship/navigational safety.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)[31]

Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)

The MAIB investigates all types of marine accidents to or on board UK ships worldwide and other ships in UK territorial waters.

Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) website[32]

The roles of the HSE, MCA and MAIB are explained more fully in the Memorandum of Understanding between the agencies:

Memorandum of understanding
(PDF) [33]Explains the cooperation and demarcation between HSE/MCA/MAIB.

Local authority Environmental Health Inspectors

They are generally responsible for work activities in warehouses, shops, catering facilities and offices not on dock premises; leisure activities on or adjacent to inland navigations; and complaints regarding nuisance

Local councils (Directgov)[34]

Environment Agency

They are responsible for railways on dock premises.

Environment Agency website[35]

Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR)

They are responsible for railways on dock premises.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Ports and dockshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/index.htm
  2. Overview - Ports industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/hse.htm
  3. Key industry stakeholdershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/stakeholders.htm
  4. Enforcing authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/enforcing.htm
  5. Overview - Legal requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/legal-requirements.htm
  6. Dangerous goods - (DGHAR) https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/dangerous-goods.htm
  7. Fishing vesselshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/fishing-vessels.htm
  8. FAQs on ports and dockshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/faqs.htm
  9. Overview - Freight container safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/containers.htm
  10. Freight container regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/regulations.htm
  11. Container design and manufacture approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/container-approval.htm
  12. Container examination schemeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/container-examination.htm
  13. RAIB - accident reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/raib.htm
  14. Overview - Topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/topics.htm
  15. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/transport.htm
  16. Lifting operationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/lifting-operations.htm
  17. Working at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/falls.htm
  18. Dusty cargoeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/dusty-cargoes.htm
  19. Musculoskeletal disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/msd.htm
  20. Whole-body vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/vibration.htm
  21. Slips and tripshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/slips-and-trips.htm
  22. Confined spaceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/confined-spaces.htm
  23. Overview - Access to vesselshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/access-to-vessels.htm
  24. Linkspans and walkwayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/linkspans-walkways.htm
  25. Standards at quayside ladders https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/quayladder.htm
  26. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/resources.htm
  27. Publications and guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/publications.htm
  28. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/case-studies.htm
  29. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/statistics.htm
  30. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/links.htm
  31. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency
  32. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) websitehttp://www.maib.gov.uk/home/index.cfm
  33. Memorandum of understanding https://www.hse.gov.uk/agency-agreements-memoranda-of-understanding-concordats/assets/docs/mcamou.pdf
  34. Local councils (Directgov)http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/index.htm
  35. Environment Agency websitehttp://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/
  36. Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) websitehttps://www.orr.gov.uk/
  37. Memorandum of Understanding between ORR/HSE https://www.orr.gov.uk/media/10891
  38. L148 - Safety in docks. ACOPhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l148.htm
  39. L155 - Dangerous goods in harbour areas Regs 2016https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l155.htm
  40. Container approval - Green guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dis8.htm
  41. Container examination - Yellow guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dis9.htm
  42. Quick guide to health and safety in portshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg446.htm
  43. Port Skills and Safety https://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources
  44. Department for Transport - Portshttps://www.gov.uk/transport/ports-harbours-and-offshore-installations
  45. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)http://www.imo.org/
  46. Port skills and safetyhttps://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources
  47. Logisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/logistics/index.htm
  48. Risk managementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
  49. Explosivehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/index.htm
  50. Work equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/index.htm
  51. Work at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
  52. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

DGHAR
Duties under the Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016
RAIB
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
ACOP
Approved Code of Practice

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Updated 2022-07-07