From October 23-27, the port authorities of Ireland joined together through the Irish Ports Safety Forum to host and promote the third Irish Port Safety Week. Its aim was to highlight and enhance collective safety responsibility and awareness for all port users, with events planned under differing themes throughout the week. 

These included Awareness of Port Golden Rules, Class 3 PPE, Emergency Response, Traffic Management, Employee Wellness, Water Safety, and Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age; those interested can read more about the safety week here. 

Some actions Dublin Port carried out included welcoming children from several local schools for an activity built around health and safety, hosted bicycle/scooter safety inspections and dispensed hi-vis safety apparel, put on an interactive workshop about workplace accidents, and held a presentation on a Human Centric approach to safety/awareness of Class 3 PPE and CPR training, as well as simulations on road safety by the RSA and tug master demos by DSG.

Port of Waterford participated with actions including hosting introductory sessions on their new EHS platform which is part of their Safety and IT Strategy, carrying out Man Overboard drills, launching their Port Emergency Management Plan, having a joint exercise with the fire service, inviting an HSA inspector visit with Key topics, organising a number of Irish Heart Foundation accredited AED/CPR training sessions, and dedicating a day to health and wellbeing.

Drogheda Port took part with many actions, including putting on a casualty recovery exercise from vessel with the Fire Brigade Services. Further, they put on a Man Overboard exercise in progress with the Irish Coastguard.

Shannon Foynes Port, meanwhile, welcomed students from their local National school, held a course as a Refresher on Manual Handling for Port Users, hosted several presentations and demonstrations on electricity safety, machinery, mooring/unmooring, lifting equipment, safe use of large plant and machinery. They further held trainings on CPR/AED and basic fire-fighting, exercises on emergency responses and swift water training. Among other activities, there was also a charity fundraiser/wellness morning, and a visit from and workshop by the HSA.

Lastly, Rosslare Europort’s port safety week activities included an AED/CPR course, staff health checks and wellbeing brief, and a Class 3 PPE promotion by the HSA. They also included information on machinery blind spots, plant and equipment safety checks with a demonstration of the new blind spot camera systems, and additionally a conversation around Mental Health and Wellbeing.