Workshop leaders of the P&O Ferries MRM training team, left to right: Simon Richardson, head of safety management, Julia Hambrook, training officer, Matt Hyde, training manager, and Alan Goodden, safety manager.

P&O Ferries is celebrating the accreditation of its Maritime Resource Management training programme by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

P&O Ferries was the first UK shipping company licensed by The Swedish Club Academy to deliver MRM training, which it has now provided for 175 Masters, deck and technical officers, and fleet managers from within its own business and from other companies.

“We’ve embraced MRM training for its focus on the human element of risk management and it is our aim that all of our own deck and technical officers will have attended courses by the end of next year. It is also heartening to see the uptake from other companies, for example we recently put six Dover port pilots through the course,” said John Garner, fleet director of P&O Ferries.

Mr Garner added: “Personnel attending this training already have highly developed technical competencies, so the focus is not on technical tasks. MRM is all about developing the attitudes and leadership qualities that enable the most effective application of technical skills and experience, as therein lies the key to accident prevention and best practice.”

P&O Ferries’ work in this area has already been recognised by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and accredited by the Nautical Institute. “This latest accreditation from the MCA under its Standards of Training is a most welcome accolade for the team that delivers this professional development course,” Mr Garner said.