MCA dismiss staff shortage claim
(From The Orcadian dated December 7, 2000)

The situation at Shetland Coastguard – due to take over from Orkney’s Pentland Coastguard station when it closes – was described as desperate this week. But the Maritime and Coastguard Agency dismissed the claims – which relate to staffing levels – arguing that the station will be better off than most next year.

Pentland is due to close its doors next week despite a long-running battle to save the station and Orkney waters will come under Shetland’s control.

But one member of staff at Pentland coastguard claimed this week that Shetland was severely understaffed during the shifts and could find it difficult to cope.

“The situation at Shetland just now is desperate,” he said. “They should have on station four watch managers and five watch officers. They have actually got three watch managers and only two qualified watch officers, one of whom is standing in as watch manager leaving one qualified watch officer on the station.

“This will be the situation for the rest of this year and will only improve slightly in the new year when a watch manager from Pentland goes up there. This for a station that is about to double its area of responsibility.”

Mr Richard Crowther, the Regional Inspector for HM Coastguard based in Aberdeen, said the station was in effect only two watch officers short and he was confident they would be recruited in time for the start of the new year. This, he said, would bring the total complement of full time equivalent staff to 20.5.

“We are looking to recruit two more watch officers to take the station to 20.5 which is half a person above what they should have,” he said.

The Pentland staff member added though that lack of local knowledge was still a major worry, claiming that one Shetland officer was unaware this week that there was a hyperbaric chamber in Stromness.

“This is the basic knowledge that they should all have at this time,” he said. “This should be of great concern to both the coastguard management and to the people who regularly use these waters. It is certainly not what was promised and is not what the mariner deserves.”

Mr Crowther said the MCA had put a lot of effort into training staff to ensure they were familiar with Orkney waters. The local knowledge would remain in Orkney, he said, with the auxiliaries on the ground.

“I am entirely happy with the amount of training,” he said. “It is far above what we were hoping to achieve.”

*The second draft of a risk assessment study of the Pentland Firth, commissioned by the MCA, is currently in the hands of Ministers.

The study was commissioned in the summer because of low levels of voluntary reporting by ships in the area. At the time, UK Shipping Minister Mr Keith Hill, said the MCA would be in a better position to consider the feasibility of introducing mandatory ship reporting once the study had been completed

Recommendations as a result of the study are due to be made to Ministers early next year.