Dover Port Health Authority
What Do Port Health Officers Do?
The port service undertakes the following activities:
- Ship inspections on board cruise liners, ferries, merchant
vessels, small passenger vessels and pleasure craft to ensure
compliance with UK and international standards for food safety and
hygiene,
- Joint ship inspections with colleagues from the Maritime
Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Consultant in Communicable Diseases
Control (CCDC),
- Infectious disease control on incoming vessels in partnership
with colleagues from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the
CCDC,
- Investigate and control food poisoning incidents on incoming
vessels and from food premises located within the por,
- Monitor the quality of potable water supplies supplied to
vessels,
- Inspect port area and vessels for rodent activity and issue
where appropriate certificates,
- Monitor and ensure compliant disposal of waste foodstuffs from
vessels,
- Monitor vessel movements into the ports of Richborough and
Sandwich,
- Monitor and maintain a system of imported food surveillance
through the pre-notification of imported foods not of animal origin
from third countries by forwarding agents and partnership working
with Her Majesty's Revenues & Customs (HMR&C),
- Physical examinations of products not of animal origin imported
from third countries and checking authenticity of mandatory papers
of those classified under specific Emergency Controls to ensure
compliance,
- Monitor all imports of food not of animal origin from third
countries and inspect and take samples of new, unusual, suspect,
incorrectly labelled and/or controlled foodstuffs,
- Verification of certificates of Organic produce at port of
import,
- Inspect and monitor port inspection facilities to ensure
adequacy for inspection,
- Respond to and notify Rapid Alerts to interested parties and
where necessary set up HMR&C profiles to enable suspect
foodstuffs to be adequately controlled,
- Advise key informants and agencies on EU and UK legislation
concerning Port Health and EU statutory controls and any changes to
them,
- Regularly liase with Her Majesty's Revenues & Customs
(HMR&C), government departments and agencies i.e. CCDC,
Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), Department of Environment
Fisheries and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Dover Harbour Board (DHB),
Trading Standards (TS), Health and Safety Executive (HSE),
- Liase with other Port Health authorities and participate in
training and information exchange activities,
Contact Port Health
Telephone: 01304 872216
Email: porthealth@dover.gov.uk
