1/. The Harbour Authority will establish and manage procedures that facilitate the safe movement  of vessels within the harbour Limits by:

Conducting risk assessments of all marine activities.

• Eliminating navigational and other hazards so far as is reasonably practicable.
• Establishing suitable control measures to reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable.
• Ensuring staff are provided with suitable training to ensure their competence.
• Ensuring staff carry out procedures correctly.
• Reviewing the risk assessments annually or following an incident or change in practice.
• Ensuring there are sufficient competent risk assessors to conduct assessments.
• Regulating the activities of harbour users to maintain a safe port for all.
• Establishing a Port Control System providing information to harbour users.
• Disseminating information to port users by Local Notices to Mariners and other means.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of plans and procedures and recording information.
• Investigating the circumstances of vessels failing to comply with procedures.
• Taking appropriate action to deal with areas of non-compliance.
• Establishing a policy on enforcement and prosecution procedures.
• Providing procedures for reporting of deficiencies on visiting vessels.
• Ensuring Port Authority vessels meet statutory requirements and appropriate codes.

2/. The Harbour Authority will provide a Pilotage service to ensure the safety and protection of all harbour users, the infrastructure and the environment. They will control and regulate it by:

• Keeping the need for pilotage under constant review by consultation and assessment.
• Issuing Pilotage Directions to establish compulsory pilotage and defining the Pilotage District.
• Entering into a contractual  agreement with the pilotage company.
• Setting the standards for and only using suitably trained and authorised pilots.
• Enabling pilotage to be fully integrated with other port safety services.
• Setting the standards for the issuing of pilot exemption certificates.
• Periodically assessing the competence of pilots and PEC holders.
• Establishing a system for reporting of Incidents.
• Investigating all incidents and implementing procedures to prevent a reoccurrence.
• Establishing procedures for suspension and revocation of certificates.
• Establishing procedures for the resolving of disputes.
• Ensuring that pilot vessels meet statutory requirements and appropriate codes.
• Ensuring that Marine employees are adequately trained and qualified and records kept.
• Ensuring the use of passage planning and master/pilot information exchange.
• Keeping records of passage plans and master/pilot information exchanges.
• Establishing a Pilotage Committee involving major stakeholders and holding meetings.
• Identifying by risk assessment any circumstances when two pilots would be needed to conduct the navigation of a vessel safely.
• Arranging with a neighbouring port the provision of emergency tug services.

3/. The Harbour Authority has a duty to conserve the harbour so that it is fit for use as a port and will keep it in a fit condition for vessels to use it by:

• Ensuring regular hydrographic surveys are carried out.
• Finding and marking the best navigable channel in the harbour.
• Ensuring Harbour Authority vessels meet statutory requirements and appropriate codes.
• Providing users with up to date information on depths, channels and prevailing conditions.
• Providing the UKHO with information under a form of agreement.
• Acting as the Local Lighthouse Authority on behalf of the General Lighthouse Authority.
• Ensuring navigational aids are suitable for the task, correctly placed, regularly inspected and maintained in good working order. Continually assess the requirement for additional aids.
• Reporting defects of navigational aids to harbour users, Solent Coastguard and the GLA.
• Establishing a position of safe anchorage.
• Keeping the Harbour approach area clear of obstructions.
• Ensuring any wreck, obstruction or other hazard to shipping is marked and/or removed.
• Ensuring that dredging is conducted by a reputable company and the terms and conditions   of the dredging licence are strictly adhered to.
• Assessing and Licensing any works within or near the harbour liable to interfere with the safety of navigation.
• Reviewing procedures in place if harbour operations, facilities or traffic type/volume change.

4/. The Harbour Authority will ensure that the following Plans are produced, practiced and regularly reviewed and updated as required and to comply with relevant legislation:

• Port Fire Plan as required by HASAW Act 1974, MHSAW Regs 1999 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Port Emergency Plan as required by the MS (Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas)  Regs 1987 and the Docks Regs 1988.
• Oil Spill Contingency Plan as required by the MS (Oil Pollution, Preparedness, Response and Cooperation Convention) Regs 1998.
• Waste Management Plan as required by MS (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regs 2003, the MS (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage from Ships) Regs 2008 and the MS (Port Waste Reception Facilities) (Amendment) Regs 2009.
• Port Security Plan as required by The Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, the International Ship and Port (Security) Facility Regs 2004 and the Port Security Regs 2009.
• Safety Plan for Marine Operations as required by the Port Marine Safety Code 2009.

5/. The Harbour Authority is a Category 2 Responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and   will co-operate with and share relevant information with all Category 1 Responders (emergency   services and local authorities) and other category 2 responders.

6/. The Harbour Authority will collect the information required from vessel’s under the MS (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Reporting Requirements) Regs.2004, as amended, and will forward this information to the MCA by the quickest possible means.

February 2010.