Don’t underestimate the safety net in your supply chain
November 15th 2010

When considering safety in the supply chain, one might think of procedures relating to the loading or packing of goods, or perhaps the maintenance and condition of the equipment used. Maybe storage facilities and the hazards they present will be considered too. Typically the focus will be on safety around the site and the welfare of workers, contractors and visitors within it, says James Tillyer, Freight Transport Association, Consultancy Team.

This seems logical, but what’s often missing is consideration of the impact that safety elsewhere in the supply chain can have on one’s ability to provide an efficient and reliable service to the end user and to operate as a profitable business with minimal disruption.

This is because a serious safety incident involving a supplier, forwarder or other immediate third party can generate bad publicity for those companies inextricably linked to them. This can damage reputation and generate misguided opinion on who was to blame or, worse still, cause long-term financial hardship in an increasingly competitive market.

While it’s possible to maintain high safety standards in a controlled environment, it becomes difficult to manage when other factors are introduced. For example, if you outsource your site management to a third party or have staff members working in locations that aren’t necessarily under your direct control, then the risks are increased through different principles, priorities and ways of working.

The overwhelming reason as to why most UK based companies have a safety system in place is to ensure legal compliance. Coupled with corporate and social responsibilities this often leads to standards that meet or exceed the requirements of the HSE and other statutory authorities.

When you consider the responsibilities associated with the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Acts, it’s easy to see why companies are now addressing this with renewed vigour.

Credit where it’s due

Supply chains can be enormous, involving a huge array of people from across the world, working on a wide range of activities with the ultimate goal of achieving a delivery of goods in perfect condition, to time and to profit.

In considering this point, there is a key group within the logistics workforce who have a responsibility that is often misunderstood or underestimated. This group often has responsibility for ensuring site safety during vehicle or load movements, for the securing and optimal positioning of load, providing assistance to vehicle or machine operators, and for ensuring the safety of others during these processes. These people are most commonly known as Banksmen, Stevedores and Cargo Handlers - an overlooked yet vital link in an often complex and risk-averse system.

Banksmen

Banksmen assist a driver during reversing manoeuvres. However, their responsibilities also range from directing cranes or excavators during loading or unloading activities and managing other plant movements, all the while monitoring obstructions on walkways or access points to a site.

A banksman’s role is varied and is largely dependent on the vehicles being used, the goods being transported and the site layout at each stage of transition. For instance, if a trailer unit is curtain-sided then it is less likely that a banksman will be needed for reversing duties as the goods may be unloaded using a fork-lift from the side of the vehicle, negating the need for a loading bay or for access to rear barn doors.

However, the banksman may also be used to oversee the loading/unloading process to ensure a safe procedure, to monitor fork lift movements and to ensure careful handling of goods, though this is often considered the responsibility of the site foreman or warehouse manager.

Clearly, a banksman’s value is greater than it may first appear, and that the importance of their role cannot be understated. The fear is that in this current economic climate some companies may decide to reduce costs by delegating the traditional ‘banksman’ role to those whose primary function or expertise lay elsewhere.

The situation is compounded by an increasing reliance on reversing alarms, which are doubtless effective but no substitute for an actual sentient individual who, crucially, can warn others as to the proximity of the vehicle.

The value in having a banksman in place appears to be supported by the fact that recent figures show that the amount of non-fatal injuries where a banksman has been present is lower than the overall amount of non-fatal injuries for the industry as a whole, and bear in mind that over a third of these injuries involve a moving vehicle.

Stevedores

Stevedores work exclusively on ports and docklands around the world. Their primary role is to assist in the loading or unloading of container ships. Often their work will involve the use of derricks (a manual lifting device), cranes and other ship equipment. There will often be a stevedore foreman who oversees the entire loading/unloading procedure, and they will usually direct other stevedores and manage a situation to lesson any risks and to ensure an efficient working practice.

Stevedores will usually work closely with a ship’s crew, one or two of whom will oversee container placement and safety on board. The pressures placed on a stevedore are usually very different to those of a banksman. With increasing import activity and a fervent, competitive attitude developing amongst a number of UK port operators, the pressure to provide a swift and efficient service has been borne by the stevedore, which in turn presents greater risk of injury to the individual and possible damage to often high value goods. As a result of these risks, the provision of appropriate stevedore safety training and awareness should be made a priority, and a commitment to ensuring harmonised training practices will often reap rewards through development of a smooth and symmetrical working practice.

Air Cargo Handlers

Air cargo handlers will often have a myriad of jobs to undertake, from operating airport vehicles to handling air freight to operating conveyor belts and everything in between. The scope of this work is varied and numerous, presenting an even greater risk to safety.

A major difference in the work undertaken by both a banksman and a stevedore is that they rarely lift items and equipment manually and on a sustained and regular basis; unlike an air cargo handler. This clearly presents increased risk of injury to the back, leg, arm and neck areas, with repetitive strain injury also prevalent. This is why it’s imperative that particular attention is paid to providing sufficient manual handling training for all air cargo handlers.

Training

It has recently become the norm to provide appropriate training to key workers for tasks that present the greatest risk to their safety. This is less about conforming to Health and Safety legislation, though, and more about providing workers with the best possible working conditions. It is often done in conjunction with an overhaul of the corporate approach to Health and Safety with policies, risk assessments, health checks and working groups all forming key parts of a company strategy.

Training is an area that managers have a tendency to retrench during times of austerity (especially those with budgetary responsibility), but the case for investing in banksman training is strong, especially as a well trained individual will not only be more safety conscious but can also improve productivity through improved time management and situation handling skills - a great benefit to any supply chain.

The case for stevedore training is, perhaps, the strongest of all considering the constraints of working in a busy port while many other stevedores and crew members work to ensure that a container ship is loaded according to a complex plan and time schedule, all the while trying to avoid a range of hazards that are often present in their working environment.

Quality stevedore safety training can provide improved awareness of the working environment and ensure the correct use of derricks, cranes and other equipment. It also fosters a better understanding of the risks that are commonplace both dockside and on the ship itself.

Air cargo handlers would clearly benefit from training in manual handling, vehicle operation and airside awareness. There is an obvious risk to injury through lifting and moving a variety of items, but perhaps of more importance is the need to ensure that the handler is fully aware of the airside layout and routes in relation to aircraft, tugs, buses and pedestrians.

Training delivery is more diverse than ever with case studies, test papers, e-learning, DVD or CD ROM, ‘train the trainer’ sessions, self training or accreditation just some of the methods on offer. These methods provide flexibility and choice to company managers and trainee groups, allowing for more convenient and cost effective solutions.

Conclusion

The importance of these three oft overlooked groups cannot be underestimated. They’re often the link between freight forwarders or logistics providers and can ensure the security of load during transfer and placement, reducing the risk of damage or dest

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