Shipping safety awareness cadet winners announced

The Chamber of Shipping looked for ideas that were original, innovative and capable of implementation. The winning suggestions include a rail-lock to improve safety when entering the holds of tankers and crude carriers, a medical emergency panic button for use in engine rooms, and a new fire fighting nozzle.

Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy de Halpert KCVO, CB, deputy master of Trinity House attended the presentation on behalf of the General Lighthouse Authority for England and Wales, which has sponsored the competition for the third year running.

First prize was awarded to Adam Creber, who is 20 years old and comes from Saltash in Cornwall. He is studying on the Foundation Deck Marine Operations programme at Warsash Maritime Academy. His training is sponsored by BP Maritime services.

The winning suggestion was a safety lock harness for use on entry into the empty tanks on board tankers and crude carriers. Creber has frequently entered tanks as part of his training and observed that with steep ladders and potentially 6-8M drops, there was little in place to prevent a fall. In his project, he suggested the use of a rail-lock system. This would involve a hardened piece of metal clipped parallel to the stair hand rail which would follow the user as they descend the stair way. A safety harness could be attached to the user and, if forced by a fall, would lock.

Second prize was awarded to Steven Walker, who is 21 and from Ardrossan, Scotland, studying the Scottish Professional Diploma in Engineering at the City of Glasgow College. His training is sponsored by Zodiac Maritime and managed by Clyde Marine.

His idea was for an emergency medical panic button to be carried specifically in engine rooms. When activated it would emit a wireless signal to a hub directly connected to the main computer console.

Third prize was won by Simon Curtis, 25, from Nomansheath, Cheshire. He is enrolled on the graduate engineer programme at Warsash Maritime Academy his training is managed by Chiltern Maritime and he is sponsored by Trinity House. His suggestion was a special fire-fighting nozzle that could deliver both high expansion foam and water mist.

The national awards, which have been running for more than 15 years, attract entries from all over the UK. Open to all trainee officers and trainee ratings studying Merchant Navy Training Board approved courses, the awards are sponsored by Trinity House and organised by the Chamber of Shipping.

The students and their training establishments received cash prizes for their work: first prize is £1,000 for the winner and £400 for the college; second prize £750 for the student and £400 for the college; and third prize wins £500 and again £400 for the college.