From left: Pearnel Charles, Minister of Labour and Social Security; Noel Hylton, president and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica; Gordon Kay, president, ZIM-American; Mike Henry, Minister of Transport and Works and Doron Goder, president and CEO of Zim Integrated Shipping Services Limited.
In an effort to deepen its safety agenda on Port Bustamante, the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) recently hosted a two-day industry workshop in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), the Ministry of Health and Environment (MOHE) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).
Held at the SAJ's Fourth Avenue offices, on July 16 and 17, the aim of the workshop was to update the SAJ Port Safety Handbook, which, at introduction over 20 years ago, was a landmark initiative. Very few industries have developed a document as comprehensive.
Workshop participants
Participants in the workshop were members of the recently formed Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) Committee which includes major stakeholders in the shipping industry, including Kingston Wharves Limited, APM Terminals, Stevedoring companies, SAJ representatives and unions represented by union delegates.
Speaking at the launch of the workshop, guest speaker Paul Brown, coordinator for the Occupational Health and Safety Programme at the University of the West Indies, lauded the OSHE committee for its focus on the safety and health of workers. "Detractors say poor countries cannot afford safety and health measures. The evidence, however, is that no country or company benefits in the long run from a low level of health and safety as information from the World Economic Forum and the Lausanne Institute of Management suggests that the most competitive countries are also the safest," Brown said.
High competitiveness
"Spending low on safety and health is not likely to lead to high competitiveness and sustainability according to the ILO report 'Safety in Numbers'. I charge you to continue this safety and health process to make the point, if you cannot afford safety and health, you cannot afford to stay in business," Brown added.
Trevor Riley, general manager of the SAJ, described the workshop as a timely one, noting that traditionally, the SAJ has taken steps to secure its employees by being the first to have a full-time nurse as well as an ambulance that serves Port Bustamante. Another first for the SAJ, he said, was the implementation of a fall arrest system, which is the use of a safety harness to secure stevedores working three container heights and above.
Another safety initiative the SAJ is working on, Riley said, is the appointment of a full-time safety officer. Additionally, by August 1, new shift monitors will be selected to assist with the monitoring of safety for workers, to ensure that safe practices are pursued.
For their part, Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL) represented by Garth Kitson, general manager - operations, and APM Terminals represented by Dean Williams, safety manager, pledged their companies' full commitment to the OSHE Committee, and Safety initiatives being undertaken by the committee.
Presenters at the workshop included: Robert Chung, director of Occupational Safety, MLSS; Andrew Dale, (acting) assistant director of occupational safety and health, MLSS; William Broughton, regional environment health officer at the Ministry of Health; Paulette Kolbusch and Gillian Guthrie from NEPA.
Handshakes seal the deal after the official opening of the new Western Berth at the Kingston Container Terminal.
