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WMA Cadet wins prize at British Shipping Safety Awareness Awards

 

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 Claire Taubman, BP Maritime Services receives the award on Seans behalf along with Andy Hair - Director of WMA who received the Academies award

 

Today a cadet from Warsash Maritime Academy was rewarded for his innovative safety idea at the Chamber of Shipping’s 17th Annual British Shipping Safety Awareness Award ceremony. The awards highlight the industry’s commitment to world class safety standards, encouraging thought provoking competition entries on future regulations from cadets and trainee ratings in the Merchant Navy. Cash prizes were awarded to the three projects that offered the best contribution for potential improvements in safety at sea.

Sean West from WMA scooped joint second place with Nick Rudd, winning £625 each as well as £400 for the Warsash Maritime Academy and South Tyneside respectively.

Sean West left his home in Cornwall to begin a Foundation Degree in Marine Engineering at Warsash in January 2011. His project, ‘Enclosed Space Entry – Comprehensive Safety System’, involves a newly designed harness that would include devices to measure oxygen and toxicity levels and allow emergency escape breathing and signaling. It would also feature communication equipment, fall arrest harness, search transmitter, entry/exit recording and an emergency luminaire. Sean is currently at sea but his second place prize was collected by a representative from both his sponsor company, BP Maritime Services.

Mark Brownrigg, Director General of the Chamber of Shipping, opened today’s ceremony. Speeches followed from David Squire and Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy de Halpert, Deputy Master of Trinity House who have sponsored the event for the last three years.

Mark Brownrigg today reiterated the importance of the event in raising awareness amongst seafarers of the crucial and constant need for new and innovative safety procedures. He stated, “I hope next year’s Awards attract more entries than ever, going further to ensure understanding of good safety practices amongst cadets and reflecting how serious an issue innovation and good practice are to the industry as a whole.”