A MASTER mariner who has long lived in the landlocked Tyne Valley has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for promoting safety at sea.

Dr Phil Anderson, of Acomb, was presented with the award by the international Safety at Sea journal during a ceremony in London last Tuesday.

As a 16-year-old, his career got off to something of a false start during the 1960s, on a trawler bound for Iceland at the height of the Cod Wars.

Upon his return he joined the Merchant Navy – specifically the Bibby Line operating out of Liverpool.

In 1980, he came ashore to work for the P&I clubs which insure much of the world’s shipping stock, firstly for Sunderland P&I and then the bigger North of England P&I Club.

Initially a claims handler, at the latter he pioneered a programme in loss prevention that educated owners about the causes of shipping disasters and the means of avoiding them.

In 2004, he established his own business, ConsultISM Ltd, that specialises in marine safety, operational risk management and the application of the International Safety Management (ISM) code of practice.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on the ISM code, he has been appointed as a consultant or expert witness in almost 150 legal cases around the globe.

He is also a visiting professor at the World Maritime University in Sweden and the Dalian Maritime University in China, and a visiting fellow at Newcastle University.

Dr Anderson said of his award: “I do feel very honoured. It was totally unexpected – the email just came out of the blue.

“Although I’ve got my academic qualifications, and have spent more than half of my career on land, I’ve got to say that at heart, I will always be a seaman.”