South African Port Operator scores well for health and safety

April 9, 2009
Author: Lunga Ngcobo

Durban, 9 April 2009 - Durban container terminal and Pier 1, both operated by Transnet Port Terminals, have become the first container terminals in South Africa to be awarded the prestigious NOSA (National Occupational Safety Association) five star rating. DCT achieved a rating of 91% for its implementation of stringent health and safety programmes while Pier 1 achieved 92%, both an improvement on the four stars achieved last year.

TPT has seen its yearly average NOSA rating improve from 84.47% in 2007/8 to 87.47% in 2008/9 with 10 out of 18 terminals audited achieving a five star rating.

Says Chief of Environment and Quality, Raymond van Rooyen, who has overseen the NOSA process from the very beginning and was instrumental in the compliance of all terminals, “The container terminals have done extremely well, considering their sheer size, their high risk equipment, myriad activities including current construction projects, and frequent movement of heavy-duty, specialised equipment like gantry cranes, straddle carriers, internal haulers and trucks. Their NOSA achievements are therefore no small feat.”

Van Rooyen said the goal would be to retain this five star rating for three consecutive years to enable the container terminals to be awarded the coveted NOSCAR status – NOSA’s highest accolade for exceptional safety, health, environment and risk management systems.

In the Eastern Cape, the Port of Port Elizabeth became the first port in South Africa to have all of its terminals achieve five stars, including a NOSCAR for the Port Elizabeth car terminal. The city’s terminals include multipurpose and car facilities.

Said van Rooyen, “The NOSA Five Star System Standard is implemented by thousands of organisations across the world, providing them with a rock-solid framework for managing occupational health and safety.

“Its grading audit focuses on the status of SHEQ programmes and the company’s disabling incident frequency rate (DIFR). NOSA awards a star rating based on industry-established criteria.”

This year’s extensive audits have also placed other terminals at the highest levels of compliance in their SHEQ systems.

East London’s car terminal has maintained its NOSCAR status. The terminal was awarded a five star rating with a score of 96.42%. It is to date the highest scoring terminal, having maintained its NOSCAR Status for five years and a five star rating for seven years running.

Durban’s automotive terminal also retained its NOSCAR status, matching the 96% it achieved in the last financial year.

Saldanha’s bulk terminal succeeded in achieving a five star rating, adding a star to its impressive performance last year. It joins the Durban multipurpose terminal, which also maintained its five star rating. Richards Bay multipurpose terminal continues to make steady improvements and this year succeeded in improving from a three to four star rating, while Richards Bay dry bulk terminal sustained its three star rating from last year.

Van Rooyen and his colleague, David Mabitsela, Chief Safety Officer, congratulated the terminals and said the ratings would heighten awareness of the safety standards encouraged at port terminals, particularly in their dealings with international companies that regard safety as an important requirement for both the employees’ and cargo handling.

“There is still some room for improvement at some of the smaller terminals which saw a slight decrease in their percentages this year, but these – including Durban Agriport, Maydon Wharf, Saldanha MPT and East London grain terminal – will be encouraged to abide by NOSA’s recommendations,” said Mabitsela.

He added, “By implementing these programmes over long term cycles we want all employees to not only strive continuously to improve their safety standards, but eventually have a total understanding of what adherence to these standards mean. This way they become an everyday ethos even outside of the work environment.”