>Press Releases Home > Publications and press releases > Press Releases HK/Guangdong co-ordinate training to step up safety The Marine Department (MD) and the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration (GDMSA) have agreed to coordinate more recognized training courses in Hong Kong and Guangdong to improve, among others, standards of shipboard container handling safety. This was confirmed by the Deputy Director of Marine, Mr. M. C. Tsang, who led a Hong Kong delegation to attend the seventh regular meeting between MD and GDMSA in Guangzhou from February 6-7, 2002. Describing the meeting as 'constructive and cordial', Mr. Tsang said that both sides agreed that the safety aspects, particularly of the mid-stream operations, should be enhanced. "We have also agreed to step up cooperation and exchanges on enhancing port management to facilitate vessel operations and maintain navigation safety and security in the waters of both places," Mr. Tsang said. Other members of the Hong Kong delegation included the Assistant Director of Marine, Mr. K. M. Lee; the General Manager of the Local Vessel Safety Branch, Mr. K. F. Lee; the General Manager of the Shipping Registry and Seafarers' Branch, Mr. P. C. So and Senior Marine Officer of Harbour Patrol Services, Mr. Summy W. S. Chu. The Guangdong delegation was headed by the Director General of GDMSA, Mr. Wang Xiang Tao. During the two-day-meeting, 15 items on the agenda and key areas of progress and agreements were covered. The meeting was informed that a booklet on "Safety Guide on Shipboard Container Handling" was issued recently. Voluntary safety training courses were introduced last year to cargo handling personnel on board river trade and licensed vessels pending the implementation of mandatory safety training in about a year's time. The meeting was also briefed on the proposed draft of the "Codes of Practice for Strength Calculation, Test and Examination of Derrick Cranes on Local Vessels". Participants exchanged views on crew training and certification system of coastal, river trade and licensed vessels, cooperation arrangement on the verification of vessels' trade certificates, loading issues of sand barges and container vessels, ship routing arrangements and VTS networking in Pearl River Delta Area etc. More about the meeting and other stories are available in the eighth issue of Hong Kong Maritime News which is accessible through Marine Department's website of http://www.gov.hk/mardep. Saturday, March 30, 2002
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