Held for the fifth time, the Innovation in Safety Award attracted entrants from thirteen countries and featured a wide variety  of functionality across the cargo handling industry, from digitalisation processes, learning and predictive data application as well as safer physical operations and equipment. The winners were announced last week amidst much fanfare but the application and relevance of all the award entrants deserve to be celebrated.

The 2022 Safety Award Digest is designed not just to acknowledge the dedication to safety that the twenty organisations display in putting forward their innovative ideas but also to bring focus to these applications that will have relevance to operators in all parts of the industry and across the globe.

“It is vital that the phenomenal work being carried out by the organisations that enter these Awards be made available to others who can benefit from the improved safety measures that have been described in detail,” says Richard Steele, ICHCA’s CEO. “We have therefore, once more, produced this Innovation in Safety Awards Digest, which encapsulates in one document the products and procedures that have achieved a demonstrable improvement in cargo handling and transport safety.” A copy of the 2022 Safety Digest in PDF form is available for download HERE

In partnership, ICHCA and TT Club have made a fundamental commitment to risk reduction throughout the freight supply chain. This is an environment, in which whenever something challenges or undermines safety, security or sustainability, a key tool in preventing incidents or deficiencies recurring is innovation.

Those submitting the 2022 Award entries demonstrated the passion to enhance safety and dynamic action that exists. The range of innovations displayed the diversity and complexity of this industry, spanning entirely physical safety issues looking at machinery or operations but also showed a focus on digital opportunities for process improvement.  Learning tools were also in evidence as was workforce engagement initiatives and those aiming at  environmental protection and monitoring.

“For its part, TT is privileged to work closely with the industry considering its problems are, in equal measure opportunities to mitigate risk further,” comments Peregrine Storrs-Fox, Director of Risk Management,  “Our industry awareness and solution orientation results in broad networking and collaboration, amongst the industry and beyond, frequently ‘joining the dots’ and thinking ‘outside the box’. It is in this context – and core to TT’s mission – that the TT Club Innovation in Safety Awards were conceived, seeking to clarify problem statements, affirm or challenge assumptions, value and nurture concepts, and provide opportunity to network, profiling innovation that works.

In commending the Safety Digest to the entire industry, the partners remind all those involved that any innovation could be transformative for the risk profile and safety enhancement, as much for an individual operation as across the entire industry.

About ICHCA International

Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.

Operating through a series of national and regional chapters, including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and plus Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain.

www.ichca.com

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1,100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

www.ttclub.com

The winner of the prestigious safety award made possible by the collaboration of ICHCA International (ICHCA) and TT Club for the fifth time was announced as AP Moller Maersk for its APMT Vessel Inspection App.  The winner and fellow short-listed entrants, Exis Technologies and Intermodal Telematics were present at the ceremony to showcase their innovations.

Both ICHCA and TT are delighted that the now well-established industry accolade, with its strenuous process of entering and judging have once more celebrated safety innovation within the cargo handling and transport sector.  There is now a real focus by organisations across the world on constantly searching for better solutions to the challenges of improving safety.

At the first ‘live’ Innovation in Safety Awards ceremony for four years, held in London today, all three finalists gave presentations of their ground-breaking initiatives, which through their variety of application reflected the broad categories represented by the twenty award entrants drawn from thirteen countries, and covering such diverse fields as digitalisation processes, learning and predictive data application as well as safer physical operations and equipment.

The winning innovation was APMT’s Vessel Inspection Mobile App.  “We are delighted with this recognition for the safety app we have developed in-house in collaboration with Maersk,” said Jack Craig, Chief Operations Officer at APM Terminals.  “The app provides a standardised digital platform for terminals to carry out vessel inspections, highlighting potential critical risk. It underpins our continuous focus on safety throughout our operations and is a great example of how we can smartly deploy technology to be even better at this.”

Joining APMT on the short-list and presenting its Hazcheck Detect innovation was Exis Technologies.  Chief Information Officer Mike Durkin said, “Hazcheck Detect can be accepted by competing carriers, offering the same technical solution with similar rules and immediate outcomes for cargo screening. This is critically important to prevent mis-declared and undeclared cargo being accepted or cancelled and re-booked on alternate carriers. We are honoured to be shortlisted for this award among a host of impressive entries.”

Making up the finalist’s podium was Intermodal Telematics BV (IMT) and its innovative Tank Container Temperature Monitoring.  “Safety remains a very hot topic across the tank container transport sector,” said Bernard Heylen, Sales Director at IMT. “With our multiple temperature alerting system we offer a digital answer to the increasing demand to transport dangerous goods safely and monitor them remotely. We continue to work in the interests of improved service quality, and in maintaining social responsibility by preventing dangerous incidents.”

Welcoming delegates (and online participants) to the awards ceremony and its accompanying safety seminar, ICHCA’s CEO Richard Steele underlined the aims of the on-going innovation in safety campaign, of which the awards are a critical part.  “We, of course acknowledge safety innovation – especially at a time of increased operational demand on global cargo handling. However, this is much more than a celebration. Our mission is also about, learning and thought leadership.  Our priority is to share these ideas with a wide audience, improving how we all can commit to continuous improvement in health and safety.  The award highlights direct evidence that our industry is actively innovating and changing.”

Steele went on to recognise the awards sponsor, “If you want evidence of industry commitment, look no further than the TT Club.  Not just sponsors in name but actively rolling up their sleeves and proactively driving an innovation and continuous improvement agenda.”

TT Club has been a driving force behind these awards since their inception, and very much committed to improvement in safety as a whole.  Peregrine Storrs-Fox is TT’s Risk Management Director, “We are delighted that the award has continued to attract substantial interest around the globe and across the industry, again demonstrating a passion to enhance safety and dynamic action to make this reality. We are pleased to report that this passion is shared by such a diverse group of operators and suppliers, with this year also featuring submissions designed for environmental protection and monitoring,” he commented.

The event announcing the winners was enhanced by a seminar which featured two discussion panel sessions on managing personal injury risk and minimising damage in cargo in transit with speakers from DP World, , Rombit, ConnexBird and the Safetytech Accelerator as well as TT Club and ICHCA.  The Keynote Speech was delivered by the vastly experienced Morten Engelstoft.  A recording of the proceedings is available on request.

“The Awards have been, and remain pivotal to our safety campaign,” emphasised Storrs-Fox.  “However through our own, and our colleagues at ICHCA’s cooperation with conference and exhibition organisers TOC, I am pleased to announce that the Safety Village initiative launched at TOC Europe last year will be repeated and enlarged at the same event in Rotterdam in June.”

The TT Club Safety Village will once more be the venue for workshops and panel sessions throughout the three days of the TOC Europe event. It will also provide opportunities for companies to showcase their innovative safety devices, processes and products. “Providing a focal point for discussion and promotion of such innovations at a leading industry forum will continue to benefit the cause of safety in the supply chain and the development of new solutions to manage significant risks,” concluded Storrs-Fox.

ENDS.

About ICHCA International

Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.

Operating through a series of national and regional chapters, including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and plus Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain.

www.ichca.com

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1,100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

www.ttclub.com

The need for increased integrity in the global supply chain persists. The Cargo Integrity Group has updated its Quick Guide to the CTU Code and once more urges all involved in intermodal container transport to pay heed.

The multi-faceted group of originally five, now seven industry organisations, produced a Quick Guide to the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code) some two years ago.  The Quick Guide is designed to assist those responsible for packing containers and accurately declaring details of their contents to abide by the often-complex regulations contained in the voluminous CTU Code itself.  There is also a useful Checklist of actions required by packers and shippers of containers. 

The Group believes that awareness of the CTU Code is pivotal to achieving safe and secure transport and has followed up the Quick Guide’s publication with provision of its full text in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish and Italian.  An update has now been made available, taking account of feedback, and is downloadable for free HERE

FIATA Director General Stéphane Graber commented, “Providing individuals responsible for packing containers, and in some cases for preparing documentation and declarations, with easier access to all-important safety guidelines in their own language, is key in order to make available practical cutting edge knowledge of packing. Such information goes beyond maritime operations, reflecting  the complexities of intermodal transport in modern day supply chains, and is key to keeping cargo logistics running efficiently.”

Failure to follow the CTU Code advice puts the people who keep the supply chain moving at risk, leading to incidents and accidents that are still all too common. The Group believes that such tragedies in the supply chain are to be avoided – most vividly demonstrated by the too frequent occurrence of container ship fires – higher standards of cargo integrity.

“We are providing clearer guidance through our revised Quick Guide and Checklist to help those responsible for packing cargo transport units, and in particular intermodal containers, to understand the standards expected in international trade,” stated James Hookham, Director of Global Shippers Forum.  “The revised editions recognise the endorsement of all the partner organisations now active in the Cargo Integrity Group and their joint commitment to dissemination of this advice to their respective memberships and wider networks,” he concluded.

Following the successful re-introduction of the Award in 2021 with its record number of entries, the 2022 award will form the centrepiece of TT Club and ICHCA’s on-going efforts to encourage players in the freight transport and cargo handling sectors further in continuing to improve operational safety and efficiency through innovation.

ICHCA International, the global cargo handling association, launched the 2022 TT Club Innovation in Safety Award today inviting entrants to submit details of their innovations by 11 November 2022. The Award, which is open to an individual, team or company involved in cargo logistics, has seen the prestige associated with winning or being highly commended, grow year-on-year. Past winners have ranged from individual entrepreneurs and specialist suppliers to employee teams in major industry businesses. Entrants are required to show that a product, idea, solution, process, scheme or other innovation has resulted in a demonstrable improvement in safety.

Details of how to submit entries and of the judging criteria can be found here.

Both ICHCA and TT Club have a fundamental commitment to risk reduction throughout the entire freight supply chain. Promoting safety advice and good practices is paramount to the philosophy of the two organisations and the Award reflects this commitment. As such, the Award and the consequent profiling of the innovations put forward by its enthusiastic entrants, is central to the two organisations’ efforts to support continuous improvement in safety. They will continue to provide opportunities to showcase winners and other entrants, organising Safety Villages at industry forums and other live or virtual events. The range of the safety information and guidance documents these two organisations produce, from white papers to webinars and from advisories to checklists, can be found on their individual websites.

TT’s Risk Management Director Peregrine Storrs-Fox has been a supporter of the Award since its inception in 2016, “In TT’s role as a specialist provider of insurance products and risk management services to the supply chain industry, we have always emphasised the critical nature of loss prevention. Encouraging safety awareness and advising on effective risk mitigation is core to the Club’s business ethos,” he says.

“TT is therefore proud to have worked closely with ICHCA for a number of years, both in presenting this Award and urging all parties from the IMO and national governments to transport companies, intermediaries and cargo packers, storage facilities and handlers to adopt and constantly improve good practice systems and procedures. We look forward to celebrating the wealth of safety innovation that will once more be attracted by this Award.”

In past years, submissions to the Award programme have ranged in focus from bulk cargo handling to securing containers and their cargoes; from safety reporting and education to the correct handling of dangerous materials; from environmental monitoring to fire detection and suppression. The 2021 Award went to VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S for its HydroPen system designed to fight onboard container fires. HydroPen has recently secured a major contract to supply the entire Maersk fleet, gaining traction to deliver global ship safety.

Those highly commended in this latest Award included PSA International for its video analytics solution to prevent in-terminal collisions and Cargotec’s innovation to inspect containers from below, effectively and safely identifying any damage and ensuring they are free of any invasive pests.

Richard Steele, ICHCA’s CEO comments, “A massive benefit of the Award is that we make the innovative work carried out by the organisations that enter, available to others. Working together with our partner TT, we strive to achieve this through publishing a Digest of all the entries and helping the innovators to disseminate their knowledge through webinars and Safety Villages at industry exhibitions.”

“At ICHCA we believe that safety is the partner of efficiency, not its opposite.  A well-run safety-conscious organisation is an efficient and sustainable organisation. Accidents cost lives, money and reputation. We challenge ourselves and our industry to move safely forward. We are proud of the innovation our industry has achieved and we wish to celebrate those achievements into the future.”

The Award ceremony will take place in February 2023 where the winners will be announced, those shortlisted will present their entries and innovation will be celebrated once more.

About ICHCA International

Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.

Operating through a series of national and regional chapters, including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and plus Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain.

www.ichca.com

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 97% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

www.ttclub.com