TT Club: Quay crane drivers most at risk from ship emissions
The TT Club has called for cleaner working environments for quay crane drivers, the port employees it says are most at risk from ship stack emissions.
Laurence Jones, director global risk assessment at the London-based transport and logistics insurance provider, has just finished a report on ship stack emissions and the efforts being employed to reduce them in port, such as powering vessels from the shore whilst in port, also known as “cold ironing;” lower-emission fuels; and even hoods over the ship’s stack.
“Quay crane operators' cabins are normally air conditioned and designed to be air-tight or at least prevent emissions from entering, but in many cases they are not, and a good deal of ship stack exhaust could be entering the cabins. At times crane operators can be less than three meters away from the top of a ship’s stack,” Jones said.
He recommended that quay crane cabins should be monitored for air quality during operations, and also be subject to appropriate control measures to counter any exposure to emissions.
'This means ensuring cabins are air tight, have effective air conditioning units using high quality filters to prevent the entry of harmful emissions from ship's stacks. This will provide a cleaner and safer environment for workers.'
TT Club: Quay crane drivers most at risk from ship emissions
