MERSEY MARITIME
“Drake Ports Distribution Services has been managing the labour requirements for the loading and unloading of ships at Royal Seaforth Container Terminal, Liverpool, and Twelve Quays Terminal across the river in Birkenhead for the past 15 years, and running a safe operation is our top priority.
MERSEY MARITIME MEMBERS
One of the ways you know if you are giving the service you promise is to ask your membership and not just pay lip service to the process, but actually ask the questions and sit back and listen to the response!
Not only does Mersey Maritime do this under the careful gaze of Annette Parker, Communications Manager, but they have even let them speak freely to us............ confidence indeed!
We start with Chris Symonds, Operations Manager of Drake Ports Distribution Services, whose scope is truly international with its roots in recruitment, but specifically in the support for the docks industry. Chris was actively involved in the training sessions at Mersey Maritime going on during the day we visited.
This involved a series of simulators, very different from the mini office simulators described earlier in this article (collectively known as Quayside Skills training simulators). These large pieces of equipment ranged from forklift trucks to straddle carriers and also mobile and gantry cranes, which are recreated in a very realistic way in a very safe environment.
The potential to use simulator technology to create a port environment and improve the quality of safety and training is huge, so we’ve been quick off the mark to adopt the high spec affordable technology the Quay Skills package offers and incorporate it into our training plans. And the numbers stack up. Investment in a simulator is an investment in skills and safety. The cost can typically be recouped in a matter of months and the benefits speak for themselves.” Chris was keen to point out.
Chris started his career in construction based on Merseyside and applied those skills to the shipping industry, organising staff and resources.
Chris was also quite passionate in what his aims and aspirations are and enthused: “I am keen to stay progressive, not only to keep developing the business but also the people within the business. The dock industry has a lot to offer and though previously people may have fallen into the industry rather than sought it out we encourage understanding and knowledge that there exists a structured career path, and we are keen to get that message across”
Chris also went on to explain that the association with Mersey Maritime started some time ago because of the similarities in what both his company and the organisation are trying to achieve – that of the continual development of Merseyside and the use of simulator training to improve both skills and safety in the industry.
Drake Ports
www.drakeintl.co.uk
We then spoke to Ian Hughes, Managing Director of Hughes Sub Surface Engineering Ltd (HSSE Ltd)
Ian started by telling us what his company does...
“We are an integrated company serving the needs of the offshore industry, with solutions above and below the surface. In respect of above we have rope access, NDT inspection teams, construction, repairs or maintenance of wind turbines. In sub-sea work we provide divers, ROV where appropriate, and carry out relevant cabling work.
“We cover all the work required by clients from inspection of sites to installation through to operations and maintenance/repair. More recently we have received a lot of enquiries regarding working within confined spaces found in wind turbines and the relevant specialist inspections required”.
Ian went on to tell us how the company has grown over its 5 year history with a permanent staff of 16 and sub-contract up to 30 when busy. This is expected to steadily grow further, particularly in the wind industry area, which Ian saw as a great opportunity right from the beginning.
As a commercial diver for over 20 years all round the world Ian likes to get involved, so that he can see the problems first hand – like many good managers he believes this earns respect from the others who work in the company and therefore it feels more like a team.
Ian explained some of the problems still seen today in offshore windfarm construction: “There exists a situation where planning does not include divers, then when things go wrong clients need divers to pick up the pieces, and in some cases a lot of divers, to rectify the situation quickly because the delay costs money. Approximately 40/50%of our work now involves the offshore wind sector and is growing steadily”.
Hughes Sub Surface Engineering Ltd
www.hsse.co.uk
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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