TT Club Innovation in Safety Award – Open for Entries

September 2, 2024

The Award is for those who are making a significant difference to safety in cargo transport – NOW. As of today entries are welcomed for the latest annual TT Club sponsored and ICHCA organized Innovation in Safety Award

Now more than ever the challenge to everyone in the global freight industry is to drive safety forward. Developing technologies combined with knowledge and experience at all levels can significantly enhance how we manage very real risks to our people cargoes and services. Risks such as explosion, fire, fall, crush, run over and moving objects require ongoing control in ports and onboard ships. The better industry gets at this, the better the results for life, limb, cargo and infrastructure, the better the work for workforces and the more sustainable and successful the organisations that we depend on. The opportunity exists not just to prevent headline grabbing events, but also day-to-day incidents that may be less in the media spotlight but can affect both shore-side workers and ships’ crew.

“The good news is that cargo handlers, carriers and the developers of technological devices and systems of all shapes and sizes are diligently producing innovations to improve risk control,” reports TT Club’s MD Loss Prevention, Mike Yarwood. “I’m pleased to say that working with ICHCA, our efforts in encouraging such innovation are having a positive effect. This Award plays a significant role in those efforts.”

The enthusiasm with which the Award has been received over the years is evidenced by the consistent number of inspiring entries each year. All deserve praise and the calibre of those that either won or were highly commended supports the confidence that both TT and ICHCA have in maintaining the process each year as a positive force for greater safety awareness.

Among past winners and those selected for special recognition are a diverse mix of established cargo handling operators and technology experts applying their specialist knowledge freshly to the sector, among them:

Cross Currents 88 and G2 Ocean AS
Royal Haskoning DHV
Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore
AP Moller Maersk for its APMT Vessel Inspection App
Exis Technologies
Intermodal Telematics
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S — HydroPen
PSA International
Cargotec Sweden AB

Likewise the safety solutions put forward have been varied: from a netting system to prevent fatal falls in cargo holds to a device for enhancing mooring safety; from a standardized digital platform for terminals to carry out vessel inspections to improvements in the safety and stability of containers on board ships; from a digital temperature alerting system for tank containers to an effective way of fighting onboard container fires and a video analytics solution that helps prevent in-terminal collisions of the heavy cargo handling equipment,

“Our list of previous innovative ideas to increase the safe working of our industry is impressive,” comments Richard Steele, CEO of ICHCA. “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to spotlight their passion and creativity for not just doing the right things right, but doing them better. Every year we speak to people who have genuinely innovated, but just see it as part of their job. We urge all those who have made positive changes to the way they do safety either for themselves or for others through their products or services to enter this year’s Award. The most exciting part of the Award is the resultant sharing of knowledge and forward-looking thought that can deliver valuable advancements in safety. They will make a difference now!”

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