Safety - Simplicity - Support for new technology

Those were the ambitions behind Workboat Code Edition 3 when it was introduced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in 2023. For Marine Plant Hire (UK) Ltd, the Code has also delivered something more tangible: stronger commercial resilience.

We are pleased to be featured in a Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) case study highlighting the business benefits of embracing Workboat Code Edition 3.

The article outlines how early preparation, structured planning and investment in certification have strengthened our operational resilience and reinforced client confidence across our 24-vessel fleet.

Ben Wheatley, Marine Superintendent and a certified Master, recognised early that leading on compliance would strengthen the company’s market position.

Ben Wheatley, Marine Superintendent at Marine Plant Hire (UK) Ltd

“As Workboat Code Edition 3 approached, we understood how advantageous it would be to lead the sector with vessels properly coded,” he explains. “Essentially, it makes you more commercially resilient – clients are seeing the value in the Code.”

“You’re guiding operators into a more seamanlike, professional manner,” Ben says. “We cannot know how many accidents we have not had because of how we improved the vessels and crew skills.”

By treating compliance as a defined business project rather than a last-minute requirement, we have progressed steadily towards full certification ahead of the 13 December 2026 transition deadline.

Read the full MCA case study here: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/firms-business-boost-from-embracing-workboat-code-edition-3