The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and The ITF Seafarers’ Trust have re-launched their groundbreaking dockers’ safety app ‘OSH Ports’ in Bahrain this week, with plans for a wider roll-out across the Arab World later this year.
The app, ‘OSH Ports’, which is available in multiple languages including Arabic, English, Spanish and Portuguese, helps teach workers how to identify and reduce hazards in ports. It is the first of its kind and available in two regional versions for the Arab World and Latin America and the Caribbean.
OSH Ports was officially relaunched by ITF-affiliated unions Asry and Foulath during a two-day training workshop for dock workers in Bahrain this week.
“Ports are dangerous environments and dockers face deadly risks every day due to a lack of adequate investment in safety, and safety and health education,” said Steve Biggs, ITF’s Dockers Section Senior Assistant. “Typical hazards include noise, heavy lifting, working at height, handling toxic chemicals and falling cargo, and working conditions are compounded by long working hours, intense-paced work and inadequate equipment.”
“OSH Ports is our response to concerns over the frequency of accidents in ports. We recognise that it’s a particularly dangerous environment and wanted to design a training specifically tailored for dock workers. We were delighted to see such a positive response from the members of Asry and Foulath unions to the relaunch of the app in Bahrain this week,” said Katie Higginbottom, Head of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust. “It’s great to see companies also supporting and facilitating the roll-out and hope that this will lead to more awareness and fewer incidents in the workplace.”
“As part of the ALU's ongoing efforts to prioritise health and safety in the workplace, we are proud to be part of the official launch of the OSH Ports safety app, in the Kingdom of Bahrain in conjunction with the ITF and its Seafarers’ Trust,” said Abdulla Hassan Mashakheel, Head of the Asry Labour Union (ALU).
“This is a great achievement for the Kingdom of Bahrain and would not have been possible without the ongoing support of the union members.”
OSH Ports comprises five modules covering how and why things go wrong in ports, identifying hazards and risks that may affect workers and their workmates, and best-practice guidance on how they can contribute to accident investigations.
After completing a short course and passing an assessment, dockers receive an official completion certificate. OSH ports is supported by the International Labour Organization’s International Training Centre (ILO-ITC). The content and curriculum of the app were developed by industry professionals with strong input from dockworkers themselves through ITF-affiliated unions. More training workshops are planned in Jordan, Egypt and North Africa later this year.
“It’s the responsibility of ports, governments, and global operators to invest in control measures and safer equipment, but the ultimate goal of the OSH App is to increase worker participation in all aspects of health and safety in ports and reduce serious injuries and fatalities in our industry” added Biggs.
OSH Ports is available on the Apple app store, as an android app on the Play Store, and online via the OSH Ports website.
