Quality and safety systems for the port industry: empirical evidence for the main Greek ports

Abstract

Purpose Quality is a complex and subjective concept, incorporating at any given time the true (expressed and implied) needs of all those involved. Over the last two decades, safety and security are becoming increasingly important to the extent that they may be considered to be synonymous or entirely integrated to quality. The aim of this paper is twofold a. to investigate contemporary issues for quality and safety/security systems integration within port industry and b. to empirically assess the penetration of quality and safety international standards in the major Greek ports. Methods A review of the literature is conducted and the results of a survey conducted based on semi-structured interviews to the top management of 10 out of the 12 Greek major ports are presented. Results The qualitative analysis provide evidence for the interrelation and integration of quality and safety/security standards; while the survey exhibit the benefits, the motives and the shortcomings of the quality and safety certification in the major Greek ports.Conclusions Integration of quality and safety management systems in ports has several advantages. The survey indicated that safety and environmental issues are a priority for most major Greek ports; while a growing interest on ISO 9001 certification is evident.

Risk Assessment of Work Accident in Container Terminals Using the Fault Tree Analysis Method

“…Safety and security have been a concern in container shipments over the past few decades [17] and this has led to the use of risk management in the decision-making process of health care, environment [18], and physical infrastructure systems [19]. Also, several scientific materials have also been implemented in decision-making to develop theories, methodologies, and equipment required to assess these risks [20]. Moreover, there is a need to apply these efforts in handling safety at the port, especially at the dock, [21] to reduce or eliminate the effects of certain environmental, weather, human, social, and economic factors [22] such as compensation for damage or death, prevention of pollution, and other medical expenses [23,24].…”