19 June 2024
International recognition for Dublin SafePort
Dublin SafePort, the port-wide collaborative safety initiative at Dublin Port, has been recognised by the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) at its congress in Tanger Med, Morocco.
One of the IMHA’s three annual prizes, the “Safe, Efficient & Secure Port Award” recognises operational leadership from across the IHMA’s global membership in 50 countries. Dublin SafePort was commended as a model of excellence in terms of impact and collaboration.
Dublin Port Harbour Master and Dublin SafePort Chair Captain Michael McKenna said, “The embedded safety culture and alignment of procedures across the unitised terminals has been achieved through collaboration across the terminals. These enhanced safety relationships support the delivery and operation of new and upgraded infrastructure at the Port.
Dublin Port is an extremely busy world-class route-to-market and this international recognition of our combined safety commitment is very positive and welcome.
We have some 50 ship movements and 11,000 vehicles on the road each day, enabling €80 billion of trade annually. We are also opening up parts of the Port to the public through a range of cultural initiatives, across which safety remains a top priority.
With this level of activity, a common safety culture is essential – through SafePort we have aligned practices around PPE, speed limits and many other procedures, and have greatly increased health and safety awareness across the 261-hectare Port estate.
This international award is a commendation to the hard work and commitment of everyone at the 11 partners who collectively make up Dublin SafePort and who reinforce safety as a pre-requisite every day.”
About Dublin Safeport
Launched in 2022, the Dublin SafePort initiative is the result of extensive collaboration between Dublin Port Company and the six unitised terminal operators at Dublin Port – Dublin Ferryport Terminals, Doyle Shipping Group, Irish Ferries, Peel Ports Group (MTL), Seatruck Ferries (now CLdN RoRo Ltd) and Stena Line. Together, they account for an estimated 75% of port workers on the Dublin Port estate.
Recently the initiative has grown to include An Garda Síochána, Revenue, HSE and North Quay Associates all of whom have significant numbers of staff working across the unitised terminals.
Under Dublin SafePort, safety awareness campaigns, training and initiatives take place port-wide with the objective of enhancing port safety culture and practice for the long-term.
About the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA)
The International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) is a professional membership association for those responsible for the safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sound conduct of marine operations in port waters. The Association brings together Harbour Masters and all those who hold a managerial position in aspects of the control of marine operations within a port. Its members include port operations managers, VTS managers, and many others, as well as of course Harbour Masters.
The IHMA unites those responsible for the safe, efficient and secure navigation of port waters with members representing more than 50 nations, extending throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Australasia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Members are from ports large and small, publicly and privately owned, and represent a unique source of up-to-date, hands-on expertise in a range of port and maritime operations, including safety of navigation, vessel traffic control, shipping movements, port management, protection of the marine environment, the ship/port interface, cargo handling and safe stowage, safety management and training, and port security.