Glasgow students win top prizes in UK Safety Awards
Media release
17 November
The top prizes in the British Shipping Safety Awareness Awards 2008 have been won by three students from the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies. The prizes will be presented by Rear Admiral Jeremy de Halpert, Deputy Master of Trinity House at the Chamber of Shipping in London at 12pm on Monday 17 November.
The national awards, sponsored by Trinity House and organised by the Chamber of Shipping recognise and reward innovative ideas from young seafarers for improvements in safety at sea.
First prize has been awarded to Keir Gravil a 22 year old deck engineer trainee from York, who trained with Clyde Marine and is sponsored by Maersk Marine Services.
Kier’s project the ‘Alternative Boat Hook Design’, offers a new design for a boat hook releasing mechanism so that a craft can be safely released and reattached quickly and easily.
Second Prize has been won by Lorna Petrie aged 24 from Orkney, who started training with Clyde Marine and is sponsored by Northlink Ferries.
Lorna is not a stranger to the Safety Awareness Awards, having won third prize in the 2006 competition. Lorna’s project was a Lock Guard, a device that can open a damaged door, regardless of how broken the lock is.
Last but not least, third prize has been awarded to Fiona Rush aged 29, who is sponsored by Maritime London and in her final year at Glasgow Nautical College.
Fiona who is from Belfast, has developed the Secmag (Security Magnet) which effectively secures a ladder of any size. The Secmag is applied at the base of each leg of the ladder locking it into place, leaving a clear path along decks reducing the risk of trips and falls.
““A career at sea is hugely rewarding and offers a wide range of challenges and early responsibility for young and gifted cadets,” says Donna Stevens, Merchant Navy Training Board.
“This popular competition is a great opportunity for trainee officers and ratings to think practically and imaginatively about improving safety at sea, as well as helping to promote awareness of safety issues at sea.”
The students have won cash prizes for their work. First prize is £1,000 for the winner and £400 for their college, second prize £750 for the student and £400 for their college, while third prize wins £500 and again £400 for their college.
The awards are open to all trainee officers and trainee ratings studying MNTB approved courses. The 2009 competition entry forms will be available in the New Year, and full details will be downloadable from the MNTB website.
Notes to editor
• The British Safety Awareness Awards is an annual competition organised by the Chamber of Shipping, to recognise and reward innovative ideas from young seafarers for improvements in safety at sea.
• Radio Interviews: The prize winners will be in London and available for interview from 1pm onwards. Please call Jeremy Harrison on 0207 417 2834 to arrange an interview
• Photos: Digital photos will be available from 1pm onwards. Please call Jeremy Harrison on 0207 417 2834 for copies.
• Trinity House is the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for a range of general aids to navigation, 'signs of the sea', from lighthouses to radar beacons.
• Trinity House is also a charitable organisation dedicated to the safety, welfare and training of mariners and a Deep Sea Pilotage Authority providing expert navigators for ships trading in Northern European waters.
For further information on the awards:
Donna Stevens MNTB on 020 7417 2840
Email: donna.stevens@mntb.org