Lagos – APM Terminals has announced a new Truck Safety Programme featuring carefully-researched and tested standard operating procedures for outside truck drivers delivering or picking up containers.
This is contained in a statement by APM Terminals Director, External Communications, Thomas Boyd, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Mr Kevin Furniss, APM Terminals Vice President for Health, Safety, Security & Environment, said that the Truck Safety Programme would be put into effect by the end of 2016 throughout the company’s Global Terminal Network.
“Our goal is to ensure we have safe operations. The basic concept here is to eliminate the risk of accident or injury to thousands of truck drivers who enter our facilities daily by strictly enforcing a `Stay in the Cab mandate for external truckers’.
There will be clearly identified Designated Safe Zones in non-operational areas specified for those occasions when leaving the truck is necessary.
“This programme reflects the tremendous team work from various terminal functions collaborating to develop a systematic approach to safety,’’ Furniss said.
The APM Terminals Vice President and Global Head of Operations, Mr Jack Craig said, “ A pilot programme at APM Terminals facilities in Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Callao (Peru), and Apapa (Nigeria), including 100 hours of safety observations and 160 identified risk situations were performed’’.
Craig said the data was analysed to review existing procedures and risks.
“Reasons for drivers leaving their truck cabs and thus increasing the risk of accidents with container handling equipment or other trucks, include document handling, looking for containers, asking for directions, inspecting chassis, guiding equipment operators and securing loads while in the yard.
“Implementation of the programme, now underway, requires all APM Terminals’ facilities to provide specially-designated, physically protected areas for drivers conducting required operational activities outside of their truck cabs by the end of the year,’’ Craig said.
He said that the terminals would also offer safety instructions specific to each facility’s layout and traffic flow.
“What the project really does is to put in place much more structure and with specifics regarding expectations; this is a call to action,’’ Craig said.