The first major international study of safety and health in
global network terminals has been released. The study was conducted by Cardiff
University, commissioned by the International Transport Worker’s Federation
(ITF) and conducted in cooperation with PSA International, APM Terminals and
another one of the world’s biggest terminal operators. The report, Managing the Health and Safety of Workers in
Globalised Container Terminals examines six global network terminal ports
and a worldwide survey of ITF member unions.
Although major changes have been made to improve safety and health in the containerization processes, the study finds that container
terminals remain a high-risk environment for dockworkers. To bring container terminals up to
the standards of best practice found in other sectors where worker
participation systems are effectively developed, several additional
improvements must be made.
The research suggests that ongoing progress to improve safety and health in global network terminals should pay extra attention to the
following areas:
- Currently, health and safety systems in global network terminals are of the behavioral type, but other industries show stronger organizational health and safety by implementing a worker participation system, which can address underlying causes of safety and health problems.
- Greater attention should be paid to ensuring that safety and health provisions and outcomes are equal for subcontracted workers.
- Safety and health management systems in terminals in the Global North and Global South differ considerably in how they are applied.
- Management systems presently focus primarily on safety, and more consideration should be given to health issues including musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue.
