ICHCA announces record number of entries for the TT Club Innovation in Safety Award

PRESS RELEASE:

Over 30 organisations from around the world have submitted entries for the 2021 TT Club Innovation in Safety Award.  Covering products and procedures that achieve a demonstrable improvement in cargo handling and transport safety, the submissions range in focus from bulk cargo handling to containerised cargoes; safety reporting and education to environmental monitoring and fire- fighting.

Designed to both encourage safety innovation at a time of increased operational demands on the global cargo handling infrastructure, and to celebrate the practical success of such initiatives, this will be the fourth time that the Award has been presented. TT Club, as a prominent freight transport insurer, and the association representing cargo handlers, ICHCA International, have long worked together to identify and promote operational safety in the industry.  They consistently produce safety advice and support innovation to improve safety in cargo operations and logistics.

“With over 50% more submissions than in any previous year, I am thrilled to see a record year for entries to the TT Club Innovation in Safety Award,” said ICHCA CEO, Richard Steele.  “The judges had an abundance of creative, innovative and thought-provoking content to consider.  This level of response emphasises that there are lots of smart, dedicated people who are working throughout the cargo handling world to improve safety and we are proud to be part of that endeavour.”

As the leading specialist insurer of cargo handling risk worldwide, TT is a mutual organisation dedicated to reducing risk and advising on loss prevention through improved safety regimes.  TT Risk Management Director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox comments “We consider our founding of, and continuing support for the Innovation in Safety award as entirely appropriate to the Club’s core mission.  TT remains dedicated to safety through the industry and is proud to have celebrated past winners such as Hapag Lloyd’s Cargo Patrol, as well as terminal automation experts, Kunz and Yardeye for their work with CSX Intermodal Terminals, in addition to all the other worthy entrants, for their innovations, each of which can be seen to improve safety standards significantly in the global transport and logistics industry.”

The Award, open to any individual, team or company that is part of the cargo supply chain, is presented to the entry that has been judged as the best product, idea, solution, process, scheme or other innovation delivering improvement in operational safety.  The Award event, a virtual ceremony to be held on 22^nd February, 2022, https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5371375306422039564 will profile a limited number of shortlisted entries, culminating in the Award being made.

Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Bill Brassington, Chair of the ICHCA Technical Panel, “It was exciting to read all of the excellent submissions covering such a wide variety of safety related innovations.  The quality and quantity of submissions demonstrates the importance of the TT Club Innovation in Safety Award, and it was hard to differentiate their value to the cargo handling world,” he commented.  “Out of this strong field, there were only a few marks between many of the entries. While the Award will inevitably recognise one entry, we will, as previously, publish a digest of all entries to give profile to all of the really valuable innovative work that is being done.  In that context, we would congratulate all for their work and dedication to improving safety in cargo handling.”