2.  HEALTH AND SAFETY

IMPROVING HEALTH AND SAFETY IN PORTS:  Readers will call that the ITF Dockers’ Section meeting in Sorrento in March discussed the issue of health and safety, highlighted dockers fatalities in Australia and unanimously passed a resolution that clearly identified the links between productivity, fatigue and fatalities.  The Section also resolved to mount a worldwide campaign to ensure that decent occupational health & safety standards for dockworkers are implemented through the adoption of common codes of practice, safety legislation and training to fully promote their protection from death and serious injury.  This campaign should be supported through the POC campaign, including in its strategy for Global Network Terminal Operators, the FOC Campaign and its IBF and TCC Agreements.  Since then, the section has been alerted to 7 reports of injuries/fatalities in Virginia and Los Angeles/Long Beach in the USA, Barbados, Hong Kong, Italy, Nigeria and India, reinforcing our view that this is a widespread problem.

The Section is engaged in activities in a number of areas to address this issue.  The Section Secretary, Frank Leys, participates regularly in ILO meetings and is actively promoting the implementation of ILO Convention 152 - the Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention - and the Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Ports.  The issue of training standards is also being raised in the ILO and in the European social dialogue process as part of the European Commission’s consultations on its maritime policy.  In addition, the Secretariat has been supporting the Dockers’ Section’s IBF negotiating team which is attempting to improve health and safety provisions in the IBF agreement.  There is also ongoing work with other maritime Sections of the ITF to gain the active support of seafarers and their unions to respect and comply with the right of dockworkers to do all stevedoring work onboard vessels where they have traditionally done so, and to fully adhere to the specific dockworkers’ clauses in the standard TCC and IBF Agreements that relate to this issue.  As mentioned in the Section Update, the Section has been working with the ITF’s Inland Transport Section to promote cross-sectoral cooperation between dockers and truckers on container cargo safety.

The importance of good health and safety standards has also been raised with the major global operator, Dubai Ports World (DP World), in meetings at the global and local levels and Frank Leys will be participating in the company’s Global Environment and Safety Awards to be held in October. 

HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH STACKED FLAT RACKS:  Health & Safety expert, Al Le Monnier (ILWU, Canada), who advises the Dockers’ Section has drawn our attention to the hazards associated with stacked flat racks.  He cites in particular an accident, which happened at the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, California on 08.06.07, which left a driver with multiple injuries. This followed the lifting of multiple collapsed flat racks connected to each other with the twistlocks that are semi attached to the flat racks. The units were stowed down below so there was no way to unlock them individually.  Le Monnier says that the ILWU policy in such a case is to place the lift on the deck and re-lift the unit with J Hooks or similar suitable loose gear and hook them properly at the bottom corner fittings or alternatively disconnect each unit and lift them individually. In this case, the lift was over the UTR (bomb cart) when it failed.  He notes that flat racks are governed by ISO 3784 and stipulates that when collapsed they are not intended to be lifted from the top with a load. Both the housing and the twistlock inside are there as securing devices only.  Pictures of the accident in Los Angeles/Long Beach suggest that it was mainly the housing mechanism that failed.  As such, wrapping the units with either strapping or chains does not alleviate the problem of the top unit corner housings being unsuitable for weight bearing.  Le Monnier has written about the issue in a recent ILWU Canada publication, ‘Waterfront News’.  He intends to develop a special bulletin about this particular issue for ILWU locals as they are often faced with issues relating to flat racks.

3.  INDUSTRY TRENDS

HUTCHISON INCREASES PROFITS:  Hutchison Whampoa, the parent company of Hutchison Port Holdings is reported to have increased its profits as a result of strong growth from its port operations in Europe and China.  It posted earnings of $738 in the first 6 months of 2007, up by 10% compared to its earnings in the same period last year.

MAERSK MANAGEMENT SHAKE-UP, DISTANCE BETWEEN APMT AND MAERSK LINE:  AP Moller-Maersk, the parent company of APM Terminals has made significant management changes in its recent internal reorganisation.  It is suggested that the shake-up is a result of the loss of profitability following the company’s acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd in 2005.  Lloyds List also highlighted the separation of APMT from the rest of Maersk’s container business and suggested that this was meant to send a clear signal of intent to the global ports industry.  Until then, the APM Terminals’ chief executive Kim Fejfer had reported to a partner and member of the executive board who also continued to have some responsibilities for Maersk Line.  In future, Mr Fejfer will report directly to the new group chief executive. According to the paper, this reshuffle is seen by insiders as a significant strategic move.  The suggestion is that APMT is seeking to distance itself from Maersk Line to reassure other big shipping lines that they will not be treated as second class citizens in its terminals.