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Unit Aims, Objectives and Prerequisites
C.4.1 - Safe working on container terminals

1. Unit Aims

This Unit is designed:

1. To explain why container terminals are dangerous working environments.
2. To discuss the importance of company safety policies and a company safety culture.
3. To describe the general principles of safe working on a container terminal.
4. To explain the practical procedures for safe access to and safe working on a container terminal.
5. To discuss the need for and nature of emergency procedures and systems.

2. Unit Objectives

After completing this Unit, the learner will be able to:

1. Demonstrate that container ports and terminals are dangerous places to work in, and identify the main causes of the dangers.
2. Outline the terminal’s safety organization, list the duties and responsibilities of the safety officer, safety representatives and safety committee, and name the safety officer and your safety representative.
3. Explain why the terminal needs to establish a safety policy, safety rules and regulations, and safe systems of work, state who is responsible for establishing them, and describe the form in which the safety rules etc are published.
4. State and explain the six main principles of segregation designed to provide a safe working environment on the terminal.
5. List and explain the ten general safety rules that must be observed by all terminal employees.
6. Explain the procedures governing safe access to the quay and vessel by ships’ crews and visitors, by supply vehicles and by port employees in the course of their work.
7. Describe and explain the procedures for safe access for authorized pedestrians to restricted operational areas.
8. Describe the procedures for safe working at the terminal gate and at container interchanges, and explain the reasons for those procedures.
9. Describe the safety precautions necessary to protect engineering and other staff requiring access to a terminal operational area, as they travel to and from the area and work within it.
10. State the safety practices and procedures to be followed when driving terminal vehicles and container-carrying equipment.
11. List and describe the safe means of access to high work locations on the terminal, and explain the safety precautions relating to working at height.
12. State the safety procedures to be followed when using hand tools and when lifting and carrying loads.
13. List and describe the protective equipment that should be provided on a container terminal, and explain the need for it and how it is used.
14. Describe the requirements for providing and maintaining a safe working environment on the terminal.
15. Describe what is meant by ‘good housekeeping’ on the terminal, explain why it is important, and state who is responsible for carrying it out.
16. Explain the need for emergency procedures on the terminal, and describe the procedures and precautions needed to prepare for emergencies.
17. Define, recognize the best definition of, or distinguish between true and false statements concerning, the technical terms used in the Unit, as listed in sections 3 and 4 below.

3. Unit Prerequisites

It is assumed that trainees will, before starting this Unit, have completed successfully the following Unit or will have demonstrated (for example by successfully completing the Test for that Unit) their understanding of the topics covered by it:

• Container terminal operations (C.1.1)