Record number of failings found on P&O Ferries ship

Inspection finds 31 failings

The P&O Ferries operated European Causeway vessel in dock at the Port of Larne, Co Antrim (Michael Cooper/PA) (PA Wire)

A record number of failings were detected during an inspection of one of P&O Ferries detained ships, it had been revealed.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) found 31 separate problems onboard the European Causeway vessel, including fire safety and lifeboat drill issues.

“Launching arrangements for survival craft” were “not as required”, according to the inspection report; meanwhile, an evacuation slide had not been maintained and new non-UK crew hired to replace fired staff were not familiar enough with radio equipment.

More failures were found on the European Causeway than in 46,000 Port State Control inspections of ships in the last three years, reports PA.

The ship had been held in port while the inspection and subsequent improvements were made, but has since resumed sailings between Larne, Northern Ireland, and Cairnryan in Scotland.

The two vessels which normally sail the popular Dover-Calais crossing have both been detained by the MCA after also failing inspections, with no date confirmed yet for sailings to resume.

Some 25 deficiencies were found aboard the Pride of Kent, including a lack of familiarity with onboard machinery and a lack of fire drills training for the new crew.

Details of the Spirit of Britain inspection have yet to be released.

A spokesperson for P&O Ferries said: “It is clear that inspections of our vessels have reached an unprecedented level of rigour. We welcome this additional scrutiny and would reiterate that the safety of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority.

“Any suggestion that it is being compromised in any way is categorically false and we look forward to all of our ships welcoming tourist passengers and freight customers again as soon as all mandatory safety tests have been passed.”

The inspections follow P&O Ferries’ mass sacking of 800 seafaring staff, which the company did with no notice and without following proper procedure on 17 March.

Workers were replaced with cheaper agency staff, prompting the government to introduce new rules guaranteeing seafarers in British waters are paid the UK minimum wage.

Peter Hebblethwaite, the company’s CEO, said the redundancies were the only way to keep the business afloat.