JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • FOGHORN 29 SAFETYMATTERS By Eric Christensen, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Risk Management Quality Partnership – Success Breeds New Opportunities A t the October 26, 2017 Quality Partnership meeting between senior PVA and U.S. Coast Guard leadership in Annapolis, MD, three chartered working groups accom- plished their tasks, and two new ones were put into motion. Established in 1996 under the Coast Guard’s Prevention Through People initiative (aka The Good Old Days), the Quality Partnership brings together PVA senior leadership as well as technical experts with senior leadership in the Coast Guard’s Prevention (think marine safety and waterways manage- ment) Directorate to frankly and openly discuss areas of mutual interest and concern. Partnerships seek non-regu- latory solutions to problems identified by the group at semiannual meetings. Over the past 21 years, the access afforded by the partnership has helped PVA members and staff address countless compliance issues quickly and efficiently. Slips, Trips and Falls The Passenger Vessel Association and the Coast Guard understand that the majority of personnel injuries onboard domestic passenger vessels are the result of a slip, trip or fall. In May 2015, Dave Anderson, then President of PVA, and the Coast Guard’s Director of Prevention Policy signed a joint charter, establishing a working group to identify the causes of slips, trips and falls and determine appropriate measures from both a technical and human factors standpoint to reduce the number and severity of incidents. Leading this effort for PVA was Captain Bob Lawler, at the time with Entertainment Cruises and now with Boston Duck Tours. Trusted to deliver excellence rolls-royce.com Kamewa Waterjets from Rolls-Royce Manoeuvrability and Efficiency Unchallenged