Security and OHS
Industrial safety has the objective of preventing and limiting risks, as well as preventing accidents capable of causing harm or injury to people, property or the environment, arising as a result of industrial activity or the use, operation and maintenance of industrial facilities, equipment or products.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) promotes the health and safety of workers by implementing measures and carrying out the necessary activities in all stages of the company's activity to prevent or reduce risks arising from its operations.
The management of occupational health and safety is based on the principle of prevention, with the aim of limiting the causes of risks, as well as defining controls that make it possible to detect or help avoid situations that can give rise to them.
An occupational risk is considered as the possibility of a worker suffering from some kind of harm as a result of their work, while the risks associated with industrial safety are considered as those that can consider injuries or harm to persons, property or the environment, especially fires, explosions and other incidents that can cause injuries such as burns, poisoning, asphyxia or electrocution.
Within the port, apart from the OHS obligations applicable to the employees of the Port Authority and the companies it contracts (coordination of business activities), it is responsible for the services dedicated to preventing and controlling emergencies in the service zone of the port.
Risk prevention and promotion of workplace health
It has always been the constant aim of the Port Authority to look after the health and safety of its employees, and to do so it has acted to respond to this objective, at times going beyond the requirements set by current legislation.
To reach this goal, ongoing action takes place to identify, assess and subsequently monitor workplace risks in the geographical area under the Port Authority’s control, an area that can be divided into three large blocks: the Inner Port, Outer Port (Langosteira) and the Navigation Aids System. Based on the results obtained, preventive and corrective actions are devised to eliminate or minimise exposure to the risks identified, by carrying out actions such as training, information and providing personal protective equipment.
However, the progress made would not have been possible without the invaluable cooperation and commitment of the men and woman on the Port Authority staff, which ranges from those responsible for drawing up and implementing the preventive measures to those for whom they are intended.
The efforts made for continuous improvement in workplace risk prevention led, in 2008, to the Port Authority considering it necessary to look in greater depth at its commitment to the physical and mental well-being of its staff. It was therefore essential to make an objective assessment and find out whether the Management System implemented was adequate or not. It made the decision to submit, voluntarily, to an external audit, which allowed to obtain and maintain the ISO 45001 certification.
Similarly, by committing to accepting and implementing the basic objectives of promoting workplace health and focusing its strategies on its principles, the Port Authority joined the Luxembourg Declaration, a consensus document establishing the basic principles for action and the frame of reference for good worker health management in companies.
Therefore, in line with the policy of the health authorities, of promoting and recommending the installation of semi-automatic defibrillators at certain facilities, this Port Authority has become a cardioprotective space, with two fixed defibrillators and eight mobile ones to cover the port area, and personnel properly trained to use these devices.
Self-Protection Plans
The responsibility of the Port Authorities with regard to the emergency prevention and control services, in the terms established by the regulations on civil protection, takes the form of preparing the corresponding Self-Protection Plan and carrying out the actions required to implement the same and ensure its effectiveness in the terms referred to in the Basic Self-Protection Regulation (Royal Decree 393/2007, of 23 March).
The Self-Protection plan addresses the identification and assessment of chemical and industrial safety risks, the actions and measures required for risk prevention and control, as well as the protection measures and other actions to be taken in the event of an emergency in the port.
Self protection Plan implementation protocol
In order to guarantee a swift, effective response in emergency situations, all the personnel participating therein must be fully conversant with their responsibilities, and have received sufficient preparation and training to conduct their duties in accordance with that established in the Self-Protection Plan To this end, la PAAC has prepared and implementation and maintenance Protocol which consists of the development of the following sections:
- The establishment of cooperation agreements with public organisations or bodies in the setting of emergency management, fire prevention and civil protection (such as the cooperation Agreement with regard to the fire prevention and extinguishing and rescue between A Coruña City Council and the Port Authority of A Coruña).
- A compilation of the form Simplified declaration of industrial safety for companies located in the service area, prepared jointly with A Coruña City Councils fire extinguishing service (SEIS).
- Request for relevant plans or documentation from users, of which the Port Authority must be notified (Notification and admission of hazardous goods, information from SEVESO facilities, etc.).
- Annual coordination and information meetings on industrial safety with the principal users and concessionaires in the port, and the competent government agencies.
- Organisation of internal and external training activities.
- Carrying out of exercises and drills both internally and in partnership with other port users.
Coordination of business activities
Companies, organizations, self-employed persons and, in general, all natural or legal persons hired by the Port Authority that intend to carry out any business activity in the work centers managed by the Port Authority, hereinafter contracted companies, must comply with their obligations in this regard. coordination of business activities with the purpose of reinforcing safety and health at work in cases of competition.
This process of coordination of business activities begins with the delivery of the document “Exchange of information for the establishment of the means of coordination of business activities according to Royal Decree 171/2004 in the work centers managed by the Port Authority of A Coruña” . This document must be covered and signed by the contracted company and subsequently validated by the Port Authority.
The Port Authority has designated coordinators of preventive activities, who are available to the contracted companies to serve as a channel for the exchange of relevant information regarding coordination and to promote compliance with the objectives in article 3:
- The coherent and responsible application of the principles of preventive action by the companies involved in the workplace.
- The correct application of work methods by the companies competing in the work center.
- The control of the interactions of the different activities carried out in the workplace, particularly when they may generate risks classified as serious or very serious or when activities that are incompatible with each other are carried out in the workplace due to their impact on safety and security. the health of workers.
- The adequacy between the risks existing in the workplace that may affect the workers of the competing companies and the measures applied for their prevention. Currently, the coordinators of preventive activities belong to the company Normansys.
Through the email cae@puertocoruna.com you can contact both the coordinators and the Port Authority.
Although the information exchange document already contains a link to download information on risks and preventive measures as well as the measures to be taken in case of emergency "CAE APAC Information", this second document is also delivered.
As already referred to in the exchange of information, the contracted company, if requested, will deliver to Normansys the work procedure of the specific activities that are going to be carried out in the work center. Prior to carrying out the work, the contracted company will inform of the days on which the activities will be carried out and the planning of the work to be carried out, so that the coordinators of preventive activities can, in the event that They consider it necessary for correct coordination, scheduling visits or, where appropriate, meetings with the competing companies, whose agreements will be reflected in a minute signed by the attendees.