Beach supervisor course (LA02)
Updated 22 March 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oil-pollution-contingency-planning-and-response-training-courses/beach-supervisor-course-la02
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) provides 6 beach supervisor courses each financial year. Individual and neighbouring authorities can request to host these courses. The course will give local authorities, and other government agencies, an overview of the technical approaches to shoreline clean-up. It will also teach them about the management framework for responding to an oil pollution incident.
Who the course is for
The course is for both local authority and other government staff who have a role to play in supervising and undertaking shoreline clean-up operations.
Course content
Typically, this course includes one day in the classroom followed by a one-day practical session. The topics covered include:
- the role of the beachmaster
- local authority response
- problems of oil spill response
- methods of response – booming and inshore recovery
- methods of response – shoreline clean-up
- scenarios
- health and safety
- the management of oily waste
- booming practical
- equipment demonstration
- beachmaster exercise
Course objectives
When they have completed the course delegates will have:
- an understanding of response arrangements under local contingency plans and the National Contingency Plan
- an understanding of the various clean up techniques relevant to the various shorelines
- knowledge on the principles of booming and the validation of a booming plan
- the skills to manage a site and identify the health and safety hazards arising from a clean-up response
- an awareness of the ecological factors to consider when carrying out clean up
- an appreciation of the importance of record keeping and the financial implications
How to apply
We welcome requests for a beach supervisor course from individual local authorities or in collaboration with neighbouring authorities. Joint requests from neighbouring authorities will be given preference.
We provide the course free of charge, however the local authority must provide the classroom venue and make arrangements such as catering (teas and coffees are provided on the second day for the practical exercise). We would expect the numbers of participants on each course to be between 30 and 60.
If you would like more information or to host a course, please email HM Coastguard HQ Business Unit at HMCoastguard@mcga.gov.uk or call 020 3817 2675.