THE head of shipping group Lloyd’s Register will be the guest speaker at the RNLI annual lecture at the University of Southampton tomorrow.

Chief Executive Officer Richard Sadler will discuss the 250-year history of Lloyd’s Register and how it has worked to improve safety at sea, as well as looking to the future and the need for a balance regulation and freedom.

Steve Austen, RNLI’s head of engineering support, said: “The RNLI charity’s lifeboats are crewed by volunteers who go to sea in potentially very difficult conditions to save the lives of others, and we do our best to ensure they have the very best lifeboats and equipment to do that.

“The need for effective risk management through robust design, training and operational procedures are key factors the RNLI considers in its lifeboat development process, so strong parallels and contrasts with the work and achievements of Lloyd’s Register will emerge during Richard’s talk.”

The lecture, which will be held in the Turner Sims Concert Hall from 8pm, also marks the tenth year of a partnership between the charity and university, which aims to develop research and education, and involves research into lifeboat design, construction and use.