Health, Safety & Environmental Policy

Our Policies

Health, Safety & Environmental Policy

Black Pearl Maritime Security Management Limited regards the health and safety of its personnel, the crews of the vessels it protects and all others affected by its activities as a paramount responsibility. We are equally committed to protecting the marine environment in which we operate. This policy applies to all activities ashore and at sea and is maintained as part of our integrated management system aligned with ISO 9001 and ISO/PAS 28007-1:2015.

Our Health and Safety Commitments

We will, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain safe systems of work for the carriage, handling and storage of firearms and ammunition, for embarkation and disembarkation by sea or air, and for life aboard client vessels. We comply with our duties under the UK Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and applicable maritime and flag State requirements, and we recognise the overriding authority of the Master for safety aboard the vessel.

• Assess the health and safety risks of every task and deployment, and put suitable controls in place.
• Ensure personnel are medically and physically fit for duty and trained in safe weapon handling, sea survival and first aid.
• Provide appropriate personal protective and safety equipment, including life-saving appliances.
• Plan for medical emergencies, casualty evacuation and incident response in remote High Risk Areas.
• Report, record and investigate accidents, incidents and near-misses, and act on the findings.

Fatigue, Welfare and Fitness for Duty

The demands of long transits and continuous watch-keeping make the management of fatigue and welfare essential to safety. We plan team sizes, watch rotations and rest periods to maintain alertness, and we monitor the wellbeing of personnel throughout deployment. Our Drug & Alcohol Policy supports this commitment by ensuring that operational personnel are never impaired while on duty.

Environmental Protection

We are committed to preventing pollution and minimising the environmental impact of our operations. We comply with applicable environmental law and with the principles of MARPOL, ensuring that waste, expended ordnance components and any other materials generated by our activities are managed responsibly and never discharged unlawfully into the sea. Where equipment must be disposed of, including damaged firearms or batteries, we use lawful and environmentally sound routes ashore. We expect our floating armoury and logistics partners to uphold equivalent environmental standards.

Responsibility and Review

The Board provides leadership for health, safety and environmental matters and ensures adequate resources are available. Managers are responsible for implementation, while every individual has a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others, to use equipment correctly, and to stop any task they believe to be unsafe. Performance is monitored through inspection, audit and incident analysis, and is examined at management review.

This Health, Safety & Environmental Policy is communicated to all personnel, made available to interested parties, and reviewed at least annually.