Falmouth Docks owners the A&P Group has spoken more about measures it has put in place to continue to support the marine industry as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.

It said that over the last eight weeks there had been a number of "stringent measures" at all three of its UK facilities, allowing them to remain operational and continue essential ship repair and maintenance works for the MoD, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Seaborne assets such as ferries.

David McGinley, chief executive officer of Cammell Laird ShipRepairers and Shipbuilders and Atlantic & Peninsula Marine Services, A&P's parent company, now believed the industry must give customers extra reassurances that rigorous Covid-19 measures were in place, ahead of restrictions being lifted.

David said: “A&P Group’s number one priority has always been to safeguard the safety of our staff, customers and sub-contractors but in the face of the unprecedented challenge of Covid-19, it has required even more rigorous checks and practices to ensure our vital work can continue.

"The alignment of the whole of the maritime industry will be necessary if we are to minimise the long-term impact of Covid-19 and ensure we can meet the needs of our customers.”

Read more: Reason A&P Falmouth is still open during Covid-19 lockdown

A&P said that during the pandemic it had continued to deliver complex, large scale projects with minimum disruption to labour.

This include critical support to the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, with the workforce beginning a major refit to RFA Mounts Bay in Falmouth.

David added: “At A&P, our rigorous risk assessments, pre-planning and ongoing communication with customers and ship staff have ensured we can limit the risk of the virus entering our facilities and minimum disruption to vessels as they arrive at our sites.

"Customers can be assured that they face minimum disruption when visiting our facilities as we’ve found effective ways to safeguard our workforce and customers whilst continuing to deliver essential projects.”

A&P Group now has a Covid-19 management team that reviews its virus procedures each day, to learn from experience and make ongoing improvements to policies.

It said measures included:

• Full Covid-19 contingency plans across all three facilities, in Falmouth, Tyne and Tees.

• Enhanced cleaning and hygiene, issuing of appropriate PPE and enforced social distancing measures across all sites.

• Full Covid-19 risk assessments for customers, sub-contractors and contractors, as well as enforcing strict checks to make sure both UK and international contractors are complying with government guidance.

• Daily safety tours by directors across all sites, to gather feedback from workers to help improve daily working practices and protect the workforce.

Other projects carried out during the pandemic have included the upgrade of HMS Tamar by A&P Falmouth, as well as the five-yearly refit of Tamar Crossing’s Lyhner II.

Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company, part of A&P Group, has also provided multiple crew transfers to Stena Drilling’s Stena Ice Max and supported the port calls of the Fugro Scout, Fugro Searcher, Alp Ace and the Komander Susan. It similarly continues to support ships at anchor and in lay-up by providing stores and fresh water.

A&P Group said that in recent months it had received awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, when it was commended in the Engineering Services Sector Health and Safety Award and received gold in recognition of its work ensuring staff, clients and supply chain members got home safely to their families at the end of every working day.