In 2018 the frequency rate of the DP World industrial accidents was reduced to 31,20.
Safety objectives
Safety culture
Why this is important
Most important achievements
Contribution to SDG's
Why this is important:
Behaviour is a significant factor in incidents
Positively influence the behaviour of our people
Most important achievements:
Safety culture workshops for dock supervisors.
Extra dock supervisor
Terminal operations supervisor at night
Potter who acts as the foreman's right hand
Risk management
Why this is important
Most important achievements
Contribution to SDG's
Why this is important:
Fewer accidents but higher accident severity
Better detection of risks, re-evaluate risk management
Also include Low frequency, high impact in safety policy
Most important achievements:
All serious and potentially serious accidents investigated.
ISO 28000
OHSAS 18001
Safety innovation
Why this is important
Most important achievements
Contribution to SDG's
Why this is important:
Continuous improvement
Most important achievements:
Global S&E Award
Reducing interaction between people and traffic
Partnerships
Why this is important
Most important achievements
Contribution to SDG's
Why this is important:
Hold more dialogue with all stakeholders (internal and external) to inventorise areas for improvement
Most important achievements:
Snapshots
Talking to people on the ground more
316 snapshots
Controles
Zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs at the terminal (port-wide issue)
Spot checks
Regain a leadership position in HSSE within the sector
The figures for 2017 and 2018 show a clear fall in occupational accidents with lost time. However, we are far from satisfied with this performance. In June 2018, DP World Antwerp lost a young, talented employee as a result of an occupational accident.
We must therefore never rest on our laurels. Safety is, and will remain, our top priority!
Key safety figures 2018
30%
1
4
46
1679
316
DP World Antwerp - General
Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) DP World Antwerp LTIFR represents the number of occupational accidents with lost time per million hours worked
Trend Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR)
Number of calendar days' lost time
Lost Time Injuries (LTI)
-25%in 2018 compared with 2016 resultof -13% compared with 2017 result
-13%in 2017 compared with 2016 result
In our global prevention plan, we decided to aim for a reduction of 30% in the frequency rate compared with the 2016 result by 2021. We have defined a phased approach to achieve this goal: −10% in 2017, −18% in 2018, −24% in 2019 etc. Both the 2017 and the 2018 objectives were comfortably achieved. If we can maintain this trend in the frequency rate, the desired level of 31.14 will certainly be achieved by 2021.
The challenge is to remain sufficiently self-critical—even if you’re currently a pacesetter. We have to remain alert to challenges and areas to work on for the future.
Benny Pinxten, Assistant Manager - OOCL Benelux
Serious occupational accidents
DP World Antwerp places a high priority on reducing the number of occupational accidents. However, we are not seeing any decrease in the number of serious occupational accidents and potentially serious occupational accidents. The latter refers to incidents that did not cause an occupational accident on this occasion, but which could have been serious or fatal.
DP World Antwerp fatal and serious occupational accidents: 2013–2018
LTI severity (SEVERITY)
DP World Antwerp - Dock workers
Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) DP World Antwerp dock workers. Within the port community, employers, unions, and CEPA have signed a charter committing them to achieve a maximum frequency rate of 50 for 2020. This graphic shows only the accidents and hours worked for dock workers and technicians at DP World Antwerp. In both 2017 and 2018, DP World comfortably achieved the objective.
Number of LTIs among dock workers
Safety culture
Improving the safety culture among our employees means that they will do whatever is necessary to work safely. In 2016, we started workshops for dock supervisors, who are in charge of operations at the terminal. Their safety improvement needs were converted into an action plan, with a number of actions having already been defined. A “chief dock supervisor” is regularly appointed to work exclusively on safety.
In 2019, the safety culture project is being extended to stevedore foremen, lashing and securing, and the technical department. This will ensure that the safety culture permeates through to all layers of the employee population.
In 2017, there was a large influx of new straddle carrier drivers. Various training sessions on safety were organised for them at CEPA and on site. Through a number of placements at the terminal, they learned about our operations and the safety risks involved. After all, we can only prevent accidents by recognising the risk and acting accordingly! The dock workers who had been with the company for longer were also given a refresher.
There is a growing recognition among everyone that a cultural change is needed in order to prevent occupational accidents. DP World is playing an absolute pioneering role in this.
Lotte Peeters, Advisor to the Executive Board - CEPA
Risk management HSSE²
Fewer accidents but higher severity
All serious and potentially serious occupational accidents are investigated by the line management, with support from the prevention service. By implementing the measures derived from these investigations, we hope to reduce the number of accidents even further.
Continuous improvement is a key aspect of this.
CIR*
Better detection of risks, re-evaluate risk management. Also include Low frequency, high impact in safety policy.
Following on from the fatal occupational accident in 2018, the risk management process was reviewed. The accident was categorised as a “High impact, low frequency” incident, which means that the incident happened during a task or action that is performed rarely but which has potentially significant consequences or a high impact. In the past, the main focus was on tasks that are performed often and may have significant consequences (“High impact, high frequency” incidents) because these are daily activities and our employees’ exposure to risks is therefore higher. By revising the risk management process, we are aiming to achieve a good balance between the detection of risks in the two categories. In addition, there will be increased cooperation with DP World terminals within the European region to ensure that similar risks can be tackled jointly within the group by sharing experience and knowledge.
Innovations
Safety innovation
In 2017, DP World Antwerp won the DP World group’s Global Safety and Environment award for the new evacuation platform for straddle carrier drivers. Thanks to this platform, straddle carrier operators can be evacuated quickly and easily from their cab (located 12 m above the ground) in an emergency. The platform is brought to the cab by another straddle carrier. Werner Peeters, Manager Rolling Equipment & Welding received the safety innovation award on the company’s behalf.
Reducing interaction between machines and between people and traffic
Most incidents within the port still take place between vehicles or between people and machinery. Both of these scenarios therefore merit particular attention. We are currently working on a position detection system to prevent collisions between vehicles. When the vehicles get too close to each other, they are alerted via sensors.
When loading and unloading vessels, tally clerks and dock workers work under the crane, which means there is a risk of collisions with straddle carriers or even with the crane itself. As they cannot be physically separated, we are looking for ways to reduce the chances of a collision By installing OCR cameras on the cranes, which take photographs of the container number, the status of the container, and the labels attached to it, the tally clerk can carry out this work at a distance.
In addition, a PDS (position detection system) is being installed to prevent collisions between machines (e.g. between straddle carriers or with a quay crane). Both machines are alerted by sensors when they get too close to each other. You can compare this to a car’s parking assist system, which alerts the driver when the car moves close to an object during a parking manoeuvre. In this way, the machine can see perfectly where the dock workers are at any moment.
Partnerships
Snapshots: talking to people on the ground more
A large number of safety snapshots (safety tours) are carried out at the terminal on an annual basis. Both the direct supervisor and the senior management verify whether all safety and environmental regulations are being adhered to. The emphasis is placed on talking to people on the ground. By entering into discussions about perceptions of safety and behavioural adjustments, we hope to further reduce the number of incidents at the terminal and improve the safety culture.
When putting safety programmes in place, it is important to test them in practice, which requires dialogue between management and the people on the ground. Divisions must not be allowed to develop between these two groups of people.
Gunther Crauwels, port operations - OOCL
Snapshots
373
316
Zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs at the terminal
In 2016, we began conducting pre-announced alcohol and drugs tests at the terminal. Only one person tested positive for drugs. In 2017 and 2018, the alcohol and drugs tests were not announced in advance, and three and four people respectively tested positive for drugs or alcohol.
If, following a positive alcohol or drugs test, the company doctor identifies problematic use, DP World Antwerp can place the employee on a mentoring programme for alcohol and/or drug addiction with the External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work.
The tests will continue to be rolled out within the organisation over the next few years. We want to take it a step further and also conduct spot checks on the lorry drivers who visit the terminal every day.
Several times a year, DP World Antwerp organises a staff party for its employees. Safety is also a key focus at this event. Employees can make use of “taxi cheques” to get home safely.
