Badly seated containers can lead to serious injury

Neil Dalus

Freight insurance specialist TT Club warns of slipshod work practices at container terminals that may lead to personal safety issues. Here TT’s Neil Dalus examines such incidents’ cause, effect and prevention.

Container terminal operations are complex and often necessarily fast paced. Each container movement is unique in many ways; the characteristics of the cargo, the condition of the chassis and the state of the container will all influence outcomes.

TT’s claims analysis has identified an uptick in personal injury incidents, particularly those resulting in finger and hand crushing, in both marine and rail container terminal operations. This type of operational risk can be costly but, more importantly, often results in life changing injuries.

One identified cause of this type of incident happens when containers are mis-seated or mis-aligned when placed onto chassis or railcars by container handling equipment such as top handlers, side handlers, rubber tyred gantry cranes or rail mounted gantry cranes.

The chassis perspective

When a container is placed onto a chassis while the pins or twist locks are closed in the locked position, the container is prevented from aligning with the chassis and rests on the closed pins or twist locks rather than the frame of the chassis. When this occurs, the correct procedure is to lift the container off the chassis and open the pin or twist lock before reseating the container back onto the chassis. Most container handling terminals have dedicated operational areas for repositioning misaligned containers.

However, where drivers fail to make use of such facilities, they often attempt to open the pins or locks themselves without lifting the container from the chassis by using a hammer or crowbar. Success causes the container to drop suddenly into alignment with the chassis. Where the driver unintentionally places their hands or fingers into the gap between the container and the chassis, this sudden movement of the container results in crushing or amputation.

Container operations can help to prevent this type of incident by ensuring that so-called “flip-line” areas where containers are repositioned are well signposted and that the site rules are clearly communicated to all drivers arriving on site. 

The rail car perspective

Similar risks occur where railcars are in use. These cases often involve poor communication between the groundsman or banksman (an individual who is on the ground helping guide the container onto the railcar) and the crane operator (who is operating the crane positioning the container). Best practice suggests that the crane operator should not move the container unless they have visual contact with the groundsman.

Unfortunately, there are cases where the crane operator assumes that the groundsman is out of the operational risk zone on the opposite side of the container, only to discover after lowering the container that it crushed the fingers or hand of the groundsman who was perhaps trying to adjust the railcar components to properly accept the container.

Causation

Primary Causes of related finger and hand injuries

• Failure by truck drivers to properly disengage front pins and rear twist locks so they can accept containers.
• Failure by truck drivers to use the flip line when container improperly aligned/seated.
• Truck drivers engaging in self-help with hammers or pry bars.
• Truck drivers placing hands/fingers of the other hand in dangerous locations between container and chassis while the container is positioned.
• Failure of groundsmen and outside truck drivers to communicate effectively with the crane operator
• Crane operator acting without having the groundman/outside trucker in line of sight.

Prevention

• Clear signage throughout the container terminal warning against self-help with hammers or crowbars AND promoting the use of the flip-line.
• Require further training of outside truckers and terminal personnel to never use or promote self-help with hammers or crowbars.
• Enhanced communication training – employ daily safety talk reminders about communication between groundsmen, truck driver and crane operations to ensure no container movements without a clear line of sight of all operators.
• Develop a risk assessed procedure whereby truck drivers are positioned in a safe place during handling operations.
• Diligent policing of container lock down areas – employ personnel to monitor container lock down areas to deter self-help activities. If self-help (use of hammers/crowbars) by truck drivers is witnessed, issue substantial citations.
• Provide multiple flip line options to reduce delay when containers are not properly seatedthus motivating truck drivers not to take short cuts.
• Signed acknowledgement of terminal rules – prior to having access to the terminal, have outside truckers sign an on-line acknowledgement of the terminal rules including no self-help or alternatively have all trucking companies acknowledge that all truckers working for them have been properly trained to go to the flip-line (and include a defense and indemnity provision).

In conclusion, mis-seated container incidents are easily preventable, however they continue to occur. Cargo handling facilities should consider implementing the outlined suggestions to help ensure that these potentially high consequence incidents are prevented.