Name change for industry body

Originally formed in 1994 to facilitate an industry input into the formulation of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Workboat Code of Practice, the National Workboat Association has changed its name during its Silver Anniversary year to ‘The Workboat Association’ (WA) so it can correctly associate with its current form, scope and objectives.

In its 25th year of providing to a growing industry’s needs, The WA’s current membership now incorporates workboat owners, operators, stakeholders and independent professionals from both in and outside of the UK.

Remaining a not-for-profit, membership funded/owned association, the WA’s scope in its most recent form offers to industry stakeholders who are working in the UK, to UK regulations, or those simply aiming to benchmark their own standards of practice against a well adopted, respected and understood level – as the Workboat Association promote.

In addition to the name change announcement, 1 August also marks the start of the latest safety campaign launched by the WA – ‘The Responsible Carriage of Dangerous Goods’.

Sponsored by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and supported and steered by the MCA, the campaign has been established to educate those boarding and working onboard (UK) workboats to the permittable forms of, and declaration responsibilities surrounding the carriage of dangerous goods.

By Rebecca Jeffrey