Understaffed coastguard

More than one quarter of UK coastguard watches were staffed below safe risk-assessed levels last summer, according to the PCS civil service union.

Between May and September 2012, the coastguard service’s busiest period, more than 1,100 of 4,400 shifts — 27% of shifts — were affected, figures obtained by the union from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency show.

The figures also reveal that for the 15 UK stations where figures were provided, 21.9% of watches were staffed below risk-assessed levels between January 2012 and May 2013.

In the five worst-affected stations — Aberdeen, Belfast, Dover, Falmouth and Thames — shifts were staffed below risk level more than a third of the time, said the union.

The PCS has been opposing a government closure programme — nine of the UK’s 19 coastguard stations are being shut and 140 jobs are going.

It has warned: “Even in stations remaining open, disillusioned staff who cannot easily be replaced are leaving.”

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said it was “truly shocking that coastguard stations are so regularly running below safe levels”.

www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/thousands-of-coastguard-shifts-staffed-below-safe-levels