Ports and shipping lines have less than 100 working days to meet the ISPS deadline, says David Anthony, Commercial Manager, Port Maritime Security International (PMSi). The company's website - portmaritimesecurity.com- features a countdown of the number of days that ports, terminal facilities and shipping lines have left to comply with the ISPS Code.
“Although it says that there are 139 days to go until July 1, 2004, by the time you take out weekends and other holidays, we estimate that companies have less than 100 working days to undertake all the necessary assessments and training,” says Anthony.
“Judging by the steady increase in enquiries we are receiving, especially from companies running terminal facilities, people are realising that non-compliance with the ISPS Code will have serious consequences for their business.”
PMSi, a subsidiary of Eurotunnel plc, was established to provide security services for the port, maritime, rail and logistics industries, and has been certified by DNV (Det Norske Veritas), the MCA (Maritime Coastguard Agency) and TRANSEC to offer courses for companies seeking to become ISPS Code compliant.
The company is already running a series of training courses in the UK, Singapore and Dubai and is considering other locations as demand increases. The company is already involved in Africa and Asia, providing security assessments for ports and designing security plans, including advice on the installation of scanning machines and other security equipment as well as running comprehensive staff training programs.
