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....
Head Office
Port Health
Health Protection
Public Protection Section
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover
Kent
CT16 3PJ
Telephone: 01304 872216
Main Switchboard: 01304 821199
Fax: 01304 872416
E-mail: porthealth@dover.gov.uk
