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INTRODUCTION
Section X: Forms/procedures
Annex
Health and Safety are very important issues in the daily work. Knowing the
possible risks and taking the appropriate action to reduce them should take a
place within the daily work.
This chapter will cover health & safety in all areas including dockside, quays,
container parks and examination sheds where you as custom officer are likely to
be working within the Port. Container parks and examination sheds outside of
the port area are also covered in this chapter.
The rules and regulations referring to health & safety differ per country. That is
the reason that there are now specific rules are mentioned in this chapter. Please
go to your own health & safety officers for specific information.
Responsibilities for Health & Safety can be divided into individual, operator
and managerial. These are laid down in law and failure to meet these
responsibilities may leave an individual liable to criminal prosecution and/or
civil action.
Individual
As an individual you have a legal responsibility for your own and others safety
at work. In general you can satisfy these legal requirements by adhering to laid
down procedures, such procedures include:
Operator
Any person using or operating any tool or item of equipment must have
received all of the relevant training and must adhere to manufacturer’ and
departmental operating instructions. It is the individual’s responsibility to
ensure that tools and equipment are inspected before use, are used properly, that
faulty tools are not used and that any faults are reported as soon as possible.
Team Member
It is an Individuals responsibility to work safely - do not place yourself or
others at risk by any act or omission.
Do not undertake any task if you have not undergone appropriate training.
Advise your team leader of any training needs.
Do not use any tools or equipment other than properly approved and supplied.
Do not use any equipment that you have not been trained to use.
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GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE CHAPTER 2- HEALTH &SAFETY
Do make sure you are trained to use any equipment properly
Do report accidents and dangerous occurrences and near misses. Make sure that
you know the procedures for doing this.
Do make sure that you know the duties and responsibilities of your managers.
Remember that a container port area is a very dangerous place and you should
ensure that you never work alone.
Team Leaders
Do carry out H&S assessments of all tasks, or ensure that a competent person
does this. Seek advice if you are not sure.
Do ensure that any task you undertake or direct has been assessed for Health &
Safety risks.
Do ensure that any staff working under your direction are properly equipped
and trained for the task.
Do ensure that safe working practices/Good Practice Guides are adhered to.
Do make sure that tools and equipment are ALWAYS inspected before use
Do ensure that any faulty tools or equipment are not used, and that faults are
reported.
Do arrange for proper PPE, tools, and equipment to be provided for staff and
ensure that they receive the appropriate training before using them.
Do ensure that Safe Systems of Work are adhered to in all tasks and in the use
of any tools and equipment.
Do observe your team to ensure they are following safe systems of work.
Remember that a container port area is a very dangerous place and you should
ensure that you never ask your staff to work alone.
Functional Manager
Do ensure proper training and equipment is provided for district tasks, and
maintenance is carried out as required.
Remember that a container port area is a very dangerous place and you should
ensure that you never ask your staff to work alone.
EXTERNAL
Park/Quay Controller or Shed Foreman:
Transit Sheds are not necessarily located within the Dock, they can also be
found at remote locations i.e. industrial estates.
Custom officers should make initial contact with the controller requesting the
sight of a container, the request is based on risk information or a tip-off etc.
The Controller will then contact Custom when the container is ready for
examination. The controller should be approached on arrival to ensure that they
know you are there for evacuation purposes or to ensure that forklift drivers are
aware of your presence. Custom officers should prepare the contents of the
container for examination, but sometimes Custom officers checks the seals on
the container first
INTERNAL
Health and Safety Advisers (NB: each country will have its own system)
Health and Safety Advisers is a group of advisers who can be contacted for
Health & Safety advice. Your Health & Safety matters are resolved locally, but
if you need further advice you can call, if available, a helpline.
During a physical check it is possible that you encounter certain goods that can
be a danger for Health & Safety.
A few examples:
Radiation.
If there is any sign of radiation, you should preserve the scene and seek advice
of a specialist.
You must always consider your Health & Safety and that of anyone else first.
Park/Quay
Controller or
Shed Foreman
Report to above regarding
any duties to be undertaken.
Port Emergency
Services -
Control Office local
numbers - Fire, Ambulance,
Dangerous Goods, Police
etc.
Health & Safety
Adviser
Firearms and
Explosives
officers
CITES Liaison
Officer
Radiation
Protection Officer
and Supervisors
Port Health
H&S Executive
Other Contacts
Section III
Types of operations
As part of training you should be taken on a tour to your local port, this will
give you an idea about the type of areas that you will need to be aware of in
your daily duties at the Port. Before you embark on your tour please read the
following guide to the general operations that are carried out on a Port. You
should be aware that there are many different health and safety issues around
each area and the various types of cargo. You should also note that whilst you
are on the tour you MUST remain with your trainer/mentor and adhere to all
Health & Safety instructions.
Quays
Operations involved in the parks include the storage and movement of;
containers which are; pending clearance (import and export), waiting to
be loaded onto a ship, waiting to be produced for exam or waiting for de-
vanning. Other operations include the storage and movement of trailers,
some ports have parks, which deal with the storage and movement of
timber.
Sheds
Operations carried out in the sheds include the examination and de-
vanning of containers, some Ports have cold store facilities for examining
frozen or fresh foodstuffs. Pallets are also examined and used in the de-
vanning procedures. Examinations carried out in the sheds may also
involve the movement of various types of equipment.
Your trainer or mentor should provide you with a map which shows the Quays,
Parks and Shed areas highlighted, you will need to take your copy of the map
with you to familiarise yourself with the layout of your local Port/Dock.
On returning from the tour you good mark the map, with highlighter pens,
showing where each of the hazards from the following list are located.
You should discuss the tour and map with your trainer/mentor, to find out if any
hazards have been missed. You should note that this list is not exhaustive,
depending on your own Port/Dock, there may be other hazards not listed
here.
Hatches
◊ temporarily stored on quayside, may be unlit and unmarked
◊ noisy
◊ restricted visibility
Straddle Carriers
◊ restricted visibility
◊ noisy
Rail Lines
◊ lots of traffic
Turning Areas
◊ speed
◊ not necessarily done in specified areas - watch out for this in all
areas of the port
All Vehicles
◊ fast moving traffic
◊ noisy
Exit Points
◊ restricted visibility
Forklifts
◊ fast
◊ carrying loads so restricted visibility
◊ can be quiet (electric)
◊ insecure cargo - danger of falling
◊ busy
◊ noisy
◊ restricted visibility
General Hazards
◊ uneven surfaces
◊ trailing ropes
◊ obstructions
Following on from the previous part of this section, where you were asked to
highlight the hazards and risks, you will now be asked to supply the controls
which you can use to minimise the risks to each of the following hazards:
◊ moving traffic
◊ noise.
List the controls that you think might be appropriate to each of the hazards on
the following page. Write your answers in the space provided.
Hazards Control
Moving traffic
Noise
◊ make sure you wear the appropriate ear protection
X-Ray scanners
The use of X-ray scanners is getting more coming.
Because health & safety instruction various per type of X-ray scanner type, it is
necessary to check with your local management for specific instruction.
Section VI
Fumigated containers
Before you enter a container! Some containers are fumigated with a toxic gas.
This is no part of the cargo but is added to exterminate bugs etc.
Containers under fumigation should carry a hazard warning sign but this is not
always the case.
If there is a hazard warning label on the container you should ask for a
statement that the container is free of gas.
If you discover any sign that a container is or has been under fumigation. Do
not touch or remove any fumigation chemicals and keep well away from
containers when fumigation operations are being carried out.
FLAT CONTAINER
Especially for heavy loads and over-width cargo.
Strong bottom construction with fixed endwalls
(which allow bracing, lashing and stacking).
• Risk of collapse if it is not secured
HARDTOP CONTAINER
Especially for
heavy loads, overheight cargo, loading
from above, e.g. by crane. The hardtop steel
roof can be easily moved by handling gear. • Risk of falling cargo
PLATFORM
Especially for heavy loads and over-sized cargo.
Strong base construction. • Risk of falling cargo
REFRIGERATED CONTAINER
Especially for cargo, which needs constant
temperatures above or below freezing point • Moving machinery parts, inside and out
• Cold wet and slippery surface
• Interior fittings hooks, racks
• Cold cargo
• Heavy doors
• Exhaust and other fumes
• Electricity hook up cables, points
• Diesel tank
• toxic fumes
VENTILATED CONTAINERS
Especially for Cargo which needs ventilation.
Natural ventilation is ensured by openings in the
top and bottom longitudinal rails. The labyrinth
construction of these ventilation openings • cold, wet slippery floor
TRAILER
Especially for transporting cargo. The • cold, wet, slippery floor
sides of the trailer are not rigid.
• risk of falling cargo
Now that you have identified some of the hazards, you should now consider
what procedures or controls you should take in order to minimise the risks.
Please write in the space provided, what you think the control are to the hazards
listed on the following page.
You should compare your answers with the answers provided after this task and
discuss them with your trainer. You should also note that the list given is not
exhaustive.
Manual Handling
◊ proper assessment - task, load, working environment,
individual capability
◊ mechanical aids
◊ proper techniques
◊ PPE
Door opening/closing
◊ PPE
Poor Stowage
◊ checkstraps for door opening
◊ PPE
Use of tools
◊ always use the proper tool for the job
◊ proper planning
◊ ensure locked/stable
◊ PPE
◊ proper planning
◊ warning signs
◊ communication
Space restrictions
◊ PPE
◊ Beware of loose objects, debris or dust on the top of the container or it’s cargo,
use PPE including eye protection
◊ Exterior fittings on reefer units etc. are to be used by trained personnel only
◊ Be aware of slippery floors and the cold, check the flooring for security and
safety
◊ Carry out as much research as possible to identify the cargo and take the
necessary precautions
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GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE CHAPTER 2- HEALTH &SAFETY
H&S Foodstuffs Examination
Be aware that there are particular hazards and concerns in examining any raw or
processed foodstuffs. Many raw farm products imported to the EU will come
from Third World countries, where the hygiene and safety regimes are not the
same as those applied in the EU.
Processed, packaged goods, ready for retail sale, should be treated as a final
product, and any packages opened for examination should be properly
destroyed.
Raw, unprocessed goods such as grains and pulses are likely or possibly to have
been treated with insecticides or other chemicals prior to shipment. They may
be infested by insects such as weevils or mites, especially if they have not been
treated, or they may be affected by rot which could induce fungal growth.
You may also come across bulk importations (tanks, containers etc) of products
destined for the human or animal food industry. These tanks are likely to be
sealed, and breakage of the seal may render the product “condemned” or
commercially worthless. In such circumstances the Department may be liable
for substantial compensation claims.
This list is not exhaustive, and you should enquire about local traffic and trends.
Risk assessment
Prior to each examination a local risk assessment should be undertaken to
decide how the examination should be conducted, or whether the examination
should take place at all. However, It is not the aim of this section to show you
how to complete a risk assessment form.
It gives you an example of a risk assessment.
On the following page you will find an example of a risk assessment form,
however you should be aware that these forms are subject to local variations.
You should ask your health & Safety officer for the, in your area used, specific
risk assessment form and procedure.
Section IX
The Line Manager/team leader and the individual each have responsibilities for
completing the forms and sending them to the appropriate department.
Ask you own Health & Safety officer or your team leader how the proper
procedure works.
Assessment Officer:
Team
X-ray Van
Forklift Truck
Other
Other
Comments / Conclusions: