The Portworker Development Programme in Bulk Terminals (hereafter referred to as “PDP II”), was initiated by the ILO with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea. Work on the development of the project began in 2014. This built upon the experiences of PDP I to cover the training of port workers working with bulk cargoes. Dry bulk terminal operations are inherently dangerous for port workers unless safe systems of work are rigorously employed both on-board ship and in the terminal.

70% of port workers engaged in handling dry bulk cargoes belong to job categories considered by terminal operators as unskilled - training is often not perceived as a priority, yet port workers are exposed to extremely challenging and hazardous conditions. Improving the skills, knowledge and attitude of port workers will improve their motivation and help bring about improvements in safety, environmental controls, performance and their status.