Hutchison Ports UK Supports Maritime Safety Week 2026

For Maritime Safety Week, Hutchison Ports UK HPUK) is proud to shine a spotlight on the people, partnerships and preparations that help keep our ports safe every day.

Posted on: July 9th 2026    •    Posted in: Uncategorised

The 2026 Maritime Safety Week theme, “Every day, everyone: Making maritime safety routine”, highlights the importance of embedding safety into everything we do. That commitment was demonstrated through Exercise Darkwater, a large-scale oil spill response exercise held at the Port of Felixstowe, designed to test emergency response procedures, incident management capabilities and multi-agency cooperation in the event of a marine pollution incident.

The exercise simulated a heavy fuel oil spill within the port and brought together responders from across the maritime sector, including the Port of Felixstowe, Harwich International Port, Harwich Haven Authority, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Marine Management Organisation and specialist response partner Adler & Allan.

A key part of the exercise involved the deployment of pollution control equipment on the water. Harwich Haven Authority’s vessel Haven Hornbill deployed a containment boom, while Harwich International Port’s vessel Copperas Bay was tasked with manoeuvring to remove a kink in the boom and support the effectiveness of the containment operation.

Safety and environmental protection remain at the heart of marine operations across Hutchison Ports UK, with Marine Safety Management Plans are in place in accordance with the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code and supported by regular training, exercises and risk assessments. HPUK applies rigorous health, safety and environmental management standards across all three UK ports: the Port of Felixstowe, Harwich International Port and London Thamesport, helping to ensure the safe movement of vessels, protection of people and safeguarding of the marine environment.

Maritime safety isn’t just about responding to incidents, it’s about preparation, partnership and vigilance every day. Our commitment to safety underpins everything we do across Hutchison Ports UK.