An external audit of occupational health and safety procedures has confirmed that the Port of London Authority (PLA) meets important international requirements.

The globally recognised International Standards Organisation (ISO) 45001 accreditation has been secured following a series of checks by Lloyds Register.

Due to the pandemic, these were conducted virtually in November and probed the processes in place across the PLA.

Stuart Pollard, PLA head of health, safety and wellbeing said: “This benchmark is a vital validation of all our efforts to put health and safety at the centre of everything we do.

“It is helping us to put into place a safe working environment for our employees, which in turn will manage risk and reduce the likelihood of workplace injuries and illnesses.”

The high seas beckon for Port of London Authority (PLA) apprentice, Scarlett Barnett-Smith, who is embarking on the next stage of her career - a cadetship at Warsash Maritime School, part of Solent University.

After two years working on the Thames as a marine services apprentice with the PLA, Scarlett (20) from Gillingham, is looking forward to starting her HND Nautical Science course in Southampton; her induction and first lectures are being held online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PLA and the maritime charity Trinity House are co-sponsoring Scarlett’s cadetship.

Scarlett said: “I have enjoyed every single second of my time working on the Thames and can thoroughly recommend an apprenticeship to any school leaver considering their career options in National Apprenticeship Week.

“Over the past two years, I have learned so much from so many people across the whole river community.

“It has been the perfect preparation for this next phase in my career, which I hope will one day lead me to be a navigational river pilot back on the Thames.

“I grew up by the river and have always loved being on the water. It’s a part of me.

“I am going to miss all my PLA friends tremendously. Through the wonders of modern technology, I will definitely be keeping them posted about my travels around the world.

“I will always be grateful to the PLA for the opportunity they have given me to fulfil my dream.”

In December, Scarlett joined fellow PLA trainees Ted Jones, Jeremie Dousselin and Joe Thompson in securing a coveted boatmasters’ licence (BML), through the Thames Skills Academy.

For the next three years she will be focused on securing her ‘Officer of the Watch’ unlimited certificate of competency, a vital passport to a long-term career a qualified mariner around the globe.

Her land-based studies - including chartwork and tides, ship stability, meteorology, marine law and vessel maintenance – will be interspersed with practical experience navigating the oceans of the world.

Rachel De Bont, PLA marine training officer, who has mentored Scarlett for the past two years, said: “To prosper as a maritime trading nation, the UK desperately needs more young people like Scarlett – particularly more women - to acquire the qualifications and experience required for a career afloat.

“Her personality and commitment have impressed all of us at the PLA since she started with us, and we wish her well for this exciting new chapter of her life.”

Captain Ian McNaught, deputy master of Trinity House, said: "We are proud to be a major supporter of maritime skills and training. Our Merchant Navy Scholarship scheme takes in 50 cadets every year, and our work as a General Lighthouse Authority provides a number of shore-based apprenticeships. We believe that the education that we offer with our training partners Chiltern Maritime will set up young people, like Scarlett, with not only the qualifications, but the experiences and outlook they need for a bright career in the maritime sector.

“I wish Scarlett and all of our cadets the very best of luck."

New film by tidal Thames safety partner encourages everyone to open up #SaferThames

Simply talking can be a lifeline for people experiencing a mental health problem.

That’s the message of a new Port of London Authority (PLA) film, produced to mark Time to Talk day (4 February), which aims to get the nation discussing mental health, particularly in the ongoing pandemic.

The film, made in partnership with other members of the Tidal Thames Water Safety Forum (TTWSF), along with Maritime UK, is hosted by star of stage and screen, Gary Wilmot MBE.

He interviews Mental Health UK ambassador Neil Laybourn, who helped Prince William launch the TTWSF in 2019, with a moving account of how he intervened to stop a stranger from taking his own life on the river.

Neil said: “Mental health is still so misunderstood by millions of people. If we take time to listen to each other’s stories, we can all learn how to approach the issue more effectively.”

In the film, Inspector Stuart Simpson, who represents the Metropolitan Police on the TTWSF, explains that a mental health nurse is now deployed on the river.

Other contributors include Stuart Pollard and Danielle Spencer from the PLA health, safety and wellbeing team, explaining how mental health issues have personally affected them and their families, along with Robin Mortimer, the PLA’s chief executive.

Robin Mortimer, who is vice chair of Maritime UK, said “Now more than ever, with COVID-19 putting such extra strain on all of us, it’s important that everyone experiencing mental health issues has someone to talk to.

“We need to normalise speaking about the topic and remember to regularly check up on our colleagues, family and friends.”

Stuart Pollard, PLA head of health, safety and wellbeing, added: “We must all work to end the stigma associated with mental health. It’s time to break the silence and talk.”

Find out more about the Tidal Thames Water Safety Forum.

Watch the full film below.

A £685,000 upgrade of Barrier Gardens Pier in Woolwich by the Port of London Authority (PLA), to make it safer and quieter, will also boost air quality on the Thames.

Owned by the PLA, the modernisation of the pier will improve its environmental performance, reduce noise and enhance crew safety.

Started last summer, an eight-month programme of work will enable larger vessels, such as London Titan, to dock directly at the pier, making it quicker and safer for crews to board and disembark. Other vessels will also soon be able to join the PLA’s flagship in tapping into onshore electrical charging facilities and no longer rely on diesel generators aboard ‘mid-stream’ moorings.

Additionally, it will facilitate easy access for engineering and maintenance work when vessels are at the berth.

The PLA’s fleet of 30 vessels helps keep a wide range of craft safe on the river, the UK’s busiest inland waterway. Users range from fast ferries to cargo ships and from stand-up paddle boarders to barges carrying building materials.

In late autumn, the pier’s floating walkway, known as the Bawley Bay pontoon, was floated down to Gravesend, to be modified for attachment to two new piles, driven into the riverbed last June.

Last week (25 January), she made her return journey, assisted by London Titan.

Pending the installation of new electrical wiring, which has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly extended pier should be in full operational service no later than the early spring.

Peter Steen, the PLA’s director of marine operations, said: “Extending the range of vessels able to berth safely at Barrier Gardens Pier has the important added benefit of cutting air pollution.

“It’s another key step forward in our efforts to achieve Net Zero targets on the river, demonstrating how careful investment can help build back better, creating long-term economic growth in a sustainable way that protects the environment.”

Project manager Nick Jordan said: “It won’t be long now before the pier is in full service – we just have to finalise the new power supply and then remove and replace the old fuel tanks, to make more space available on deck.”

Andy Osborne, PLA marine engineering manager, added: “This project is a good example of the practical action we are taking to cut carbon emissions.

“Plugging in vessels on shore will allow our engines to be pre-heated, reducing start-up emissions.”

The PLA’s Net Zero plan aims to reduce emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2025.

Watch the video below to find out more about the process.

Photo: It is hoped the Kickstart recruits might follow in the footsteps of apprentices, such as the PLA’s Ted Jones.

Over 40 unemployed young people are set to join the Port of London Authority (PLA) in Gravesend and Forth Ports, including at Tilbury, for paid six-month traineeships this spring, as part of the Government’s £2.4 billion Kickstart work programme.

Opportunities available, ranging from administration through to operations, will give 16 to 24-year olds a chance to gain important experience in a real working environment.

Glenn Witham, HR Director at the PLA, said: “With the pandemic seriously affecting young people’s job prospects, we want to do our bit by helping them develop the skills and confidence to secure full-time employment.

“The majority of our recent apprentices have gone on to greater things with us and we hope that will be the case for our new Kickstart trainees too.”

Jackie Anderson, group HR manager at Forth Ports, said: “This is not an easy time for people looking to start a career.

“Kickstart is great new way of reaching out to even more young people. Hopefully it will be a steppingstone for other opportunities for them with us, such as an apprenticeship, or even a permanent job.

“We have a long and proud tradition of investing in opportunities for people entering the jobs market for the first time, with almost 100 apprentices in place in roles across the business, including with engineering, operations and finance.

Kickstart applicants, who must have been on Universal Credit for six months, will be referred to the PLA and Forth Ports by Job Centre Plus.

The Government pays the minimum wage for the roles offered, based on a maximum 25-hour week.

With CVs already being received, interviews are expected to take place in February, and it is hoped the first successful candidates will be in place in March.

Sea-going vessels are back in action at Pinns Wharf in Barking Creek, after a five-year absence, boosting trade and air quality in the capital.

Earlier this month Swedica Hav and RMS Ratingen arrived at the wharf, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, which was acquired by Corbyn in 2019.

In partnership with technical teams at the Port of London Authority (PLA), the firm has invested to make it possible for larger ocean-faring vessels to dock there once more.

It’s now the starting point for the export of bulk cargoes of construction materials and recycled aggregates to Scandinavia and the Baltic.

James Trimmer, PLA director of planning & environment, said: “Getting exports moving again at Pinns Wharf will keep many hundreds of lorries off London’s busy roads, improving safety as well as air quality.

The news coincides with a recent wave of positive developments for freight on the river:

• Seeding green change: Thousands of tonnes of oil seed rape from the Port of Tilbury grain terminal are to float their way along the Thames to ADM Erith’s processing facility. Twice a day during the week, the Polla Rose is relocating 500 tonnes of oil rape seed seven nautical miles upstream from Essex to Erith in the London Borough of Bexley, as part of a new service launched in December.
• On the right track: An extra weekly Freightliner train service launching this month will see 3,000 tonnes of construction materials leave the Port of Tilbury for FM Conway’s facility in Theale, Berkshire. The move is part of a five-year extension of an agreement between the two organisations for aggregate handling at the port.
• Back of the net: Roof parts for Fulham FC’s new stand at Craven Cottage continue to arrive by barge. The truss deliveries are the most significant use of the western part of the river for freight in decades.
• Sewage-buster: The construction of the capital’s super sewer, the Thames Tideway Tunnel, also continues to utilise barges to move parts and waste materials to and fro. The project needed to tackle discharges of untreated sewage into the river is due to be completed in 2025.

Robin Mortimer, PLA Chief Executive added: “The river is all set to play a major part delivering sustainable economic growth.

“Our staff and the wider port community have all played a vital role keeping shelves stocked during the pandemic.

“It’s clear that building back better must mean unlocking the river’s full commercial and environmental potential. It was instrumental in establishing London as a global centre for trade and can do so again.”

Sue Mackenzie has joined the Port of London Authority (PLA) as a non-executive director replacing Helen Deeble, who has retired from the PLA Board at the end of her six-year term.

Sue brings a wealth of experience in commercial shipping operations and international business, having served in senior management and advisory roles for both public and private companies for more than 20 years. She held a variety of roles during nearly 13 years at P&O Ferries and prior to that was operations director for Luton Airport at a time of unprecedented growth following the launch of easyJet.

Sue currently serves as a non-executive director of BMT Group Ltd, Medway NHS Foundation Trust and Logistics UK.

“We are delighted to welcome Sue to the PLA,” said PLA chairman, Christopher Rodrigues. “She will bring a breadth and diversity of experience to the PLA as we work to support all our stakeholders in the time of COVID-19 and deliver our longer-term responsibilities as Custodians of the Tidal Thames.

“At the same time, we say farewell and thank you to Helen Deeble for her commitment to, and enthusiasm for, our organisation.”

Sue Mackenzie’s early career was spent in military service and not-for-profit sectors both within and outside the UK. After leaving the Army, Sue spent time as chief executive of charity Cities in Schools (CiS), which ran partnership programmes between business and the community to provide education, training and support to disadvantaged young people.

She has degrees in Agricultural Science and Emergency Planning Management and has completed the General Management Programme at Harvard Business School. Sue continues to work voluntarily in support of her fellow servicemen and women and is involved as a trustee and/or volunteer of several charities in the UK.

An online meeting to discuss all the latest news on the upper tidal Thames, including the impact of COVID-19 and the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, will be hosted by the Port of London Authority (PLA) on Thursday 11 February 2021 (5 -6 pm).

The PLA’s Environment team will report back on work towards achieving Net Zero carbon reduction targets and other green initiatives, including the recently-launched Cleaning The Thames website, which enables members of the public to log litter they retrieve from the foreshore.

Among the other items on the agenda are a review of recent work by the PLA’s new upper river maintenance team, led by Bernard Watson, to repair river wall ‘revetments’ at Mortlake and Chiswick.

There will also be a look at the increasing use of barges for delivering freight within London, including the on-going arrival of parts for the roof of the new riverside stand at Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage.

Participants will also be able to hear about progress with the Harbour Revision Order, submitted to the Marine Management Organisation last year, seeking to update the PLA’s legislative powers.

A presentation led by Robin Mortimer, the PLA’s CEO, will be followed by a question and answer session, giving members of the public a chance to raise matters of interest. Questions should be submitted in advance.

Robin Mortimer said: “The continuing COVID-19 lockdown regrettably prevents from holding a face-to-face meeting this year, but there is still lots on news about the river to share, so we hope there will be a good online attendance

“We’re always keen to hear the views of the river community, so it’s a good opportunity for all those connected with the upper tidal Thames to directly relay their comments and ideas to us.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the meeting must pre-register in advance.

Similar meetings for the middle and lower reaches of the tidal River Thames are due to follow later in the year.