Pacific Maritime Association

THE YEAR IN REVIEW Safety on the Waterfront Accident Incidence Rate 2003-2012 10 Incidence Rate per 200,000 Man-Hours A s a result of continued vigilance by employers and workers, the accident rate on the West Coast waterfront continued to decline in 2012. In fact, for the third year in a row, the standard measure of worker safety ��� the lost time injury (LTI) incident rate ��� fell to its lowest level since PMA began keeping records. The 2012 LTI rate was 5.30, down slightly from 2011���s rate of 5.43. The LTI rate is used across industries to calculate the number of accidents that result in one or more lost work days per 200,000 man���hours. man-hours. These rates reflect a drop in worker accidents that has resulted from enhanced safety practices, training and technology designed to keep workers out of harm���s way. 8 6 4 2 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Case Study: Log Handling Safety The self-releasing log head mechanism has reduced injuries at Oregon ports. The Joint Pacific Coast Marine Safety Committee (also known as the Coast Safety Committee) has a long history of working in collaboration with member company representatives and port workers to improve safety on the waterfront, dating back to the 1930s. The committee, representing employers and ILWU workers, meets regularly to evaluate safety standards, best practices, injury statistics and trends. The safety measures they agree upon are compiled in the Pacific Coast Marine Safety Code, the rulebook of safety on the docks at all West Coast ports. In 2012, the Coast Safety Committee successfully used this process to lower the incidence of injuries in logging operations in the Oregon area. The committee identified general factors that contributed to these injuries, focusing on holdmen, and 10 sought to find ways to mitigate those factors. Among the issues considered were training, communication, 8 equipment and proper practices. The committee then analyzed the potential 6 benefits of a new piece of equipment with the potential to reduce injuries: the self-releasing log head mech4 anism, which eliminates the need for holdmen to climb across floating logs as they are loaded. 2 Logging operations are significant throughout the Pacific Northwest. 22 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 2012 ANNUAL REPORT Given the promise shown by this device, the committee quickly developed a self-releasing log head 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 ensure safe 2010 safety protocol to 2006 2007 2008 2009utili-2011 zation and proper inspections. The final protocol was approved in February 2012, and established new best practices for logging operations to improve worker safety. These practices were captured and are now constantly reinforced through on-site training

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