Initiatives of PEMSEA

Ports and harbours are an integral part of the coastal communities in the East Asia region. They serve as the centres of economic development and activity, as well as the gateways to domestic, regional, and international markets. Over the past decades, free trade and globalisation have brought about tremendous growth in the region, particularly in the maritime sector, including the port industry.

Port authorities and operators face a number of challenges with respect to their roles in the development of national economies. One key area of concern is the sustainable development of coastal areas and communities in which they operate.

In addition, many ports have undertaken safety, health, and/or environmental reviews/audits to assess their performance. However, such reviews and audits alone may not be sufficient to provide organisations with the assurance that their performance has met their legal and policy obligations. To be effective, reviews and audits need to be conducted within a structured management system that is integrated within the organisation. However, currently, there are no common international standards that enable port authorities and companies operating in ports to measure their performance with regard to safety, health, and environmental protection.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, many stakeholders, led by Partnerships in Environmental Management in Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), have embarked on a project to provide assistance to ports, particularly those in the East Asian Seas region.

They include the following entities:

  • Global Environment Facility (GEF);
  • United Nations Development Programme;
  • International Maritime Organization;
  • International organisations with a vested interest in ports and their operations; and
  • Non-governmental organisations representing the port industry.

Specifically, these entities are seeking to establish a Port Safety, Health and Environmental Management (PSHEM) Code and Recognition System.

An integrated management system for ports

The PSHEM Code provides port authorities or companies to implement international conventions, codes and guidelines in an integrated and systematic way. The Code is for voluntary use by port authorities and companies operating in the port whose operations may have an effect on health and safety of people, the  environment  and  port  installations. The Code also supports national implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), a regional strategy adopted by the East Asian countries, with the objective of protecting and sustaining coastal and marine ecosystem services while developing an ocean-based blue economy.

The PSHEM Code incorporates the requirements of three prevailing international standards: Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2004), Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSAS 18001:2007), and Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2008). It is important to note that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has granted PEMSEA permission to use ISO standards clauses in the PSHEM Code and Guidelines.

Through the application of the PSHEM Code, port authorities and operators will be able to strengthen their management system in accordance with these three international standards. Moreover, it helps port authorities or companies to abide by international conventions, codes, and guidelines in an integrated and systematic way. The Code would be adopted on a voluntary basis by port authorities and companies operating in ports whose operations may have an effect on the health and safety of people, the environment, and port installations.

In October 2011, the PSHEM Code was formally adopted by PEMSEA’s executive committee and its governing body, the East Asian Seas Partnership Council (composed of country and non-country partners), as a PEMSEA-certified document. With support from The Yeosu Project and Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) the PSHEM Code and Recognition System was launched on July 13, 2012 in the GEF/PEMSEA Pavilion at the Yeosu International Exposition, RO Korea.

The PSHEMS Recognition System

A logical adjunct of the PSHEM Code, the PSHEMS Recognition System, has been established to formally acknowledge that the established PSHEMS of the port meets the requirements of the Code and confirms the effective implementation of the system.

The PSHEMS Recognition System is structured as a tri-level approach to encourage the port authority and/or operator to strive for excellence through continuous improvement (Box 1). Appropriate to its level of implementation, PEMSEA gives the port authority/operator an award stating that they have complied with the requirements of the PSHEM Code and that they have effectively implemented the PSHEMS continual improvement process.

Trial deployment of the PSHEM Code

The PSHEM Code was field tested and evaluated at three ports in the region from 2005 to 2009: Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, along with Bangkok port and the Laem Chabang Port in Thailand. To achieve the objectives set out in the PSHEM Code, these ports followed the PSHEMS framework and the six phases of the PSHEMS continual improvement process (Box 2):

The PSHEMS developed at these ports produced the following results:

  • Achieved operational business efficiency and cost savings;
  • Reduced the occurrences of accidents, along with potential and actual pollution;
  • Enhanced the safety, health, and environmental governance system to control private terminal operators;
  • Improved handling of dangerous goods and wastes;
  • Lowered safety, health, and environmental risks through the improvement of operations and access control of the port.

 

Lessons learned

Here are some of the key lessons that were gained from the PSHEMS field testing experience at the aforementioned ports, which could be applicable to other ports:

  • Securing the support of top management;
  • Establishing a working group comprising representatives of all concerned units to ensure commitment and support from the grassroots level;
  • Ensuring the competency of personnel tasked to develop and implement the PSHEMS through proper training;
  • Improvements through internal audit and management review processes;
  • Adapting policies and procedures to applicable national and international regulations;
  • Building up a culture of safety among port workers;
  • Cultivating trainers by providing intensive training to key personnel as a way to support other ports in setting up the system;
  • Exchanging knowledge and experiences with other ports in the development of PSHEMS as a mutually beneficial way to improve port governance; and
  • Setting up a participatory approach involving management, supervisory, and technical personnel to identify safety, health, and environmental objectives, targets, and improvement programmes; and
  • Promoting greater safety, health, and environmental consciousness among port personnel.

 

Roll-out of the PSHEM Code in the ASEAN


Leveraging on the success of the field tests, the German International Cooperation and PEMSEA signed a letter of cooperation to implement Sustainable Port Development in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2010. Under this agreement, the PSHEM Code was identified as the framework for the development and implementation of an integrated port safety, health, and environmental management system at selected ports in the ASEAN region. The participating ports of the Sustainable Port Development in the ASEAN are the Philippine Ports Authority Port of Iloilo and Port of Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines, along with the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port and Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in Cambodia.

In conclusion, the initial experience of PSHEM Code roll-out at selected seaports has been positive and encouraging. Building on this success, PEMSEA will promote, advocate and facilitate the  roll-out  of  the PSHEM  Code and Recognition System in all the countries of the region. Specifically, they will aim to engage port associations and government ministries overseeing the port industry; strengthen the capabilities of PSHEMS trainers, training institutions, and auditors; and institutionalise a mechanism for sharing best practices and experiences among others.

 

About the Author

Renato C. Cardinal is the Programme Manager for Partnership Applications of the PEMSEA Resource Facility. He heads the Recognition and Certification Unit and the development and implementation of Port Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (PSHEMS) program of PEMSEA. He was responsible for the successful establishment, implementation and improvement of the PSHEMS of Port of Tanjung Pelepas, in Malaysia, and Bangkok Port and Laem Chabang Port in Thailand. Cardinal has more than 20 years of experience in management systems development and implementation from different industry sectors.