Port Skills and Safety

Port Skills and Safety is the UK's professional port health and safety membership organisation. Our purpose is to encourage and promote continuous improvement in health and safety, in order to develop a highly skilled workforce. We exist to make UK ports safer and more skilled. Our parent organisations, the British Ports Association and UK Major Ports Group, cover most of the UK commercial ports and we draw upon their networks and expertise. PSS is recognised by government departments and agencies, including the Department for Transport, Health and Safety Executive and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. We work closely with the port industry stakeholders, the HSE and trade unions in promoting safety in the workplace and improving the safety culture throughout the industry. One way we work towards achieving this goal is collectively developing the "Safety in Ports"​ suite of guidance. The guidance currently covers; General Cargo, Container handling, Mooring, Dry Bulk handling, Bulk Liquid transfer, to name a few. We are also the standards-setting body for the ports sector and work with employers and other key stakeholders to maintain a suite of National Occupational Standards for port operatives, harbour masters, marine pilots and VTS. We have developed port qualifications for England, Scotland and Wales, and apprenticeship frameworks. We are also responsible for the development and introduction of a national certificate for Harbour Masters with our partners UKHMA and this is the only Harbour Master qualification that is endorsed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. PSS also administers a series of work and advisory groups including the long-established Port skills and Safety Group which provides the industry with a forum for health and safety practitioners (And others interested in health and safety) to learn about, discuss current industry issues and to share information through partnership and consultation.