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Dock installs lift sensors
Page 7
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Felixstowe Docks has fitted sensors to cranes to stop trucks being lifted into the air after a series of incidents at the port of vehicles being lifted with their loads.
The devices have an automatic cut-off mechanism, which alerts a crane driver if a vehicle is lifted more than 18 Inches off of the ground and then allows them to manually lower the truck to safety.
Paul Davey, Felixstowe corporate affairs manager, says: "We have had a number of incidents where there have been faulty twist locks on the container and it hasn't disengaged, so the truck has been lifted with the load. We hope that this will prevent more incidents such as these."
Unlike other ports, driver's are required to stay in their cabs while containers are being lifted onto ships. "We have worked alongside the Health and Safety Executive and decided that due to the number of trucks around, this is still the safest method of working," adds Davey.
Malcolm Fisk from local container company Deben Transport welcomes the move: "It is a good idea, given the recent problems at the docks. However, it is still the responsibility of the driver rather than the port to ensure that the container is unattached."
Last year, a truck driver was lifted 10ft off the ground by a crane after the twist lock on his container failed to disengage, causing his cab and trailer to lift with the load.
Driver Derek Mayes was recently awarded £452,000 in High Court damages after he was left with head injuries by a similar incident at Felixstowe in 1997.