The TT Club Innovation in Safety Award was presented by ICHCA International in 2016 to highlight the importance of safety at a time of increased operational demands on cargo handling infrastructure and operations worldwide.
Our goal was equally to champion and celebrate the many companies and individuals around the world who are 100% dedicated to ‘making it safe’ every day, and to acknowledge and foster innovation to improve safety in cargo operations and logistics, says an article published on ttclub website.
The problem
APM Terminals Bahrain, operator of Khalifa Bin Salman Port, had experienced several incidents due to blind spots facing operators, of rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTG) and reach stackers (RS). Additionally, there had been some container toppling incidents involving RTGs while in reverse mode, which caused damage to the container and could potentially have led to a fatality for truck drivers. The terminal therefore wanted to find a technical solution to mitigate these risks and address a number of related safety concerns for RTG and RS operations.
The solution
A range of technical solutions was developed and implemented on RTG and RS equipment, including:
RTG
- Six-camera CCTV system installed on RTGs to give operators a clear view of the blind spots, with four cameras fixed above the 4 RTG legs for right and left gantry, one fixed to monitor the truck lane and another to monitor the rear side for cross gantry (90 degree travel) from one block to another.
- To address container topples in the reverse mode, the existing RTG PLC program logic was modified to disable the hoist function in cases of unsafe height. A green light indicator in the cabin notifies the operator once the hoist reaches the safe height.
- Fitted a gate lock system, interfaced to the crane PLC, to prevent the cabin door from opening during operation.
RS
- Two rear lock pins were installed to prevent accidental movement of RS cabins, with a proximity switch added to determine the position of the lock pin. This was linked directly to the gearbox controller to prevent any motion in cases where the lock pins are not secured. A light indicator in the operator cabin indicates when the lock pin is in the correct position.
- A camera was fixed on the back of the RS, with a screen fixed inside the cabin, allowing the operator to overcome the blind spot on the screen while in reverse. The camera also operates under night vision, giving the operator better visibility during night shifts.
- A mechanical switch was mounted to open/close RS cabin door.
The results
RTG container toppling incidents have been reduced and operators now have clear visibility, with no blind spots. The risk of RTG doors accidentally opening when the trolley is not in a parked position has been eliminated.RS cabins now remain in a secure position even in case of incidents, and operators’ blind spot in reverse has been overcome, lowering the risks of back-up collisions.
Summary
- The TT Club Innovation in Safety Award was presented by ICHCA International in 2016 to highlight the importance of safety at a time of increased operational demands on cargo handling infrastructure and operations worldwide.
- APM Terminals Bahrain, operator of Khalifa Bin Salman Port, had experienced several incidents due to blind spots facing operators, of rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTG) and reach stackers (RS).
- A range of technical solutions was developed and implemented on RTG and RS equipment.
- RTG container toppling incidents have been reduced and operators now have clear visibility, with no blind spots.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: ttclub.com
