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What is Marine Safety Forum ?

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What is MSF?
 
The Marine Safety Forum actively promotes good practices and initiatives to promote safety within the marine sector of the Northern European oil and gas industry.
 

Who are we?

Expectations

Our aims

Overall Target

Articles of Association
 
 
 
 
Who are we? ^ Top ^
The membership is made up of shipowning /managing companies, logistics companies, oil companies, marine consultants and other interested parties.(i.e. Port Authorities, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Chamber of Shipping).
 
It is managed by a Steering Group of approximately 12 representatives from the membership and a secretary who meet every six weeks. Details of the Steering Group members are available on the Steering Group page and details of the secretary are available on the home or Contact Us page.
The work of the Marine Safety Forum is primarily carried out by "workgroups" which concentrate on a specific topic. The workgroup reports to the Steering Group with the eventual aim that a "Good Practice" regarding the specific issue is promulgated to the membership to work to. Details of the current workgroups are available on the workgroups page. We would encourage you to engage with the workgroups particularly where you have an interest.

Every six months there is an All Members Meeting for the whole membership. Details of meetings are in the All Members Meeting section.
 
 
Our aims ^ Top ^
The primary aim is to improve safety within the marine sector of the industry - achieved by the following objectives:
 

To air marine safety issues in an open forum of service users and providers.

To co-ordinate all marine industry workgr-oups and draw from industry expertise.
   

To highlight areas of particular concern and reach consensus on action required to minimise risk of major incidents.

To represent marine concerns within the "Step Change in Safety" initiative.
   

Take pre-emptive action on minor issues which have the potential to escalate.

To work together to share safety information and good practice across the whole industry.
 
 
 
Expectations ^ Top ^

Good Practice, which is developed and agreed by the Marine Safety Forum, shall be promoted and encouraged by all members within their individual organisations.
   

Industry Guidelines shall be made available to and followed by all those involved in the marine process.
   

They will promote within their own organisation a culture of responsibility for safety which means, amongst other things, that employees are required to work safely, follow procedures and guidelines, look after colleagues and intervene when unsafe behaviour is observed.
   

Implement Step Change initiatives where relevant.
   

Ensure that a proper communication system operates within their organisation allowing that safety issues can always be discussed and facilitate that the Marine Safety Forum issues are transmitted right through to the deck of a ship, installation or quayside and that comments and concerns can be relayed back to the Forum.
   

Ship owning / operating / managing companies are to provide safety performance figures to the Marine Safety Forum so that proper industry statistics can be calculated and the evaluation of progress can be made.

   
 
 
Overall target ^ Top ^

In line with Step Change our overall target is that:
"Making the UK the safest place to work in the worldwide oil and gas industry."
   
 
 
 
Articles of Association ^ Top ^

1. Name

The name of the Group shall be the Marine Safety Forum (MSF), formerly called the North Sea Marine Affinity Group (NSMAG).

   

2. Objectives

2.1 To air marine safety issues in a mixed forum of service users and providers.

2.2 To highlight areas of particular concern and reach consensus on action required to minimise risk of major incidents.

2.3 To take pre-emptive action on minor issues which have the potential to escalate.

2.4 To coordinate all marine industry workgroups and draw from industry expertise.

2.5 To represent marine concerns within the ‘Step Change in Safety’ initiative.

2.6 To work together to share safety information and good practice across the whole industry.

   

3. Membership

3.1 The MSF shall be comprised of representatives of those companies invited to the first meeting of the NSMAG on 29 July 1998. Representatives shall be deemed to be comprised of one nominated individual per MSF member, but reasonable numbers of observers/alternatives shall be allowed. Substitutes shall be allowed at Steering Group/All Members meetings.

3.2 Further applications for membership shall be addressed to the Secretary for consideration by the Steering Group.

3.3 Trade Associations or other similar invitees shall be deemed to have observer status.

   

4. Structure/All Members Meetings

4.1 Day-to-day decision making shall be the responsibility of a Steering Group comprising of representatives of members and will always contain service users and suppliers.

4.2 Progress reports and requests for ratification of Steering Group decisions shall be made at All Members meetings at which invitations shall be extended to all members of the MSF.

4.3 Decision making shall be undertaken by consensus.
   

5. Administration

A secretary shall be appointed by the Steering Group and ratified at an All Members meeting. He or she shall be responsible for the administration of MSF, collection of membership fees, arrangement of All Members meetings, drawing up of All Members meeting agendas, preparation of All Members meeting minutes, communication with the membership and all other appropriate duties. .

   

6. Finances

MSF shall be non-profit making. All costs incurred shall be shared between members by means of contributions. With the agreement of the Steering Group, observers shall be allowed gratis membership of the MSF.

The Steering Group shall determine a fee for Secretariat services and for supervising expenditure. A brief statement of expenses shall be presented annually at an All Members meeting.

Once the balance of funds has been exhausted, a further fee shall be levied. A further levy shall only be undertaken in exceptional circumstances and with the agreement of the Steering Group; this shall not be undertaken more frequently than once a year.

   

7. Resignation and Winding Up

Members may resign by giving written notice to the Secretary. All contributions due from such a member shall be payable and no reimbursement of contributions already paid shall be made.

In the event of members agreeing to wind up the MSF, funds remaining shall be redistributed on a pro-rata basis to paid-up members extant on the day preceding the decision made to wind up the MSF.

   

8. Amendment

Any amendment to the Articles of Association shall be decided by consensus of members at an All Members meeting.

 
 
Telephone +44 (0) 7969 497580
Email secretary@marinesafetyforum.org
Web www.marinesafetyforum.org
   
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Articles of Association