Fundación Valenciaport launched a new advisory service on the management of pandemics in ports whose main objective is to provide port managers with vision so that they know exactly how to act in the event of the possible spread of infectious diseases in the port area.
This technical assistance will promote port resilience to pandemics. Some of the specific objectives of this service are:
- To keep ports safe and operational during pandemics by improving pandemic response and decision making and developing protocols, action plans, etc.;
- To implement standards, guidelines, metrics, tools and methodologies to facilitate the flow of goods and services;
- To provide stakeholders with innovative and user-friendly IT tools to complement EU systems;
- To advise ports and port community stakeholders on the use of remote technologies with a focus on teleworking positions.
Phase 1 – Analysis of the risk situation
In this first phase, a diagnosis of the port or the organisation will be carried out to obtain as much information as possible on the changes and problems that arise in the face of a pandemic situation.
This diagnosis will first identify the essential operations, the groups involved in them, the steps already taken to guarantee both the provision of these activities and the safety and protection of essential workers, and then formulate what steps still need to be implemented and by whom, and establish a solid long-term strategy.
Phase 2 – Definition of action
This second action proposes that the port defines protocols based on the different health or economic risk situations.
Organisations should carry out risk assessments taking into account all possible disruptions affecting cargo, the flow of people flow and all stakeholders in the port community.
Risk assessment leads to the design of action plans at all levels of the organisation: economic, operational and corporate. The assessment and design of action plans should be conducted under normal circumstances, and then rapidly adjusted, updated and monitored as the pandemic evolves.
This consultancy service proposes the definition of protocols in three stages depending on the level of impact that may occur:
- Action plan 1: Measures for information and preventive actions to be taken to avoid the risk of contagion.
- Action plan 2: In the case of detection of a suspected positive and/or positive case.
- Action plan 3: When the positive case situation requires partial or total closure of port facilities and/or offices.
Phase 3 – Implementation of best practices
In this last phase, emphasis is placed on the risks a pandemic poses to the psychological and emotional health of workers, which are essential to maintain port operations.
In this sense, the proposed solutions are aimed at:
- Reducing the potential impacts of pandemics on staff welfare.
- Adapt working conditions accordingly.
- Addressing any problems related to the mental and emotional distress of workers.
In this phase, an inventory of good practices will be drawn up to be applied both in a “Preparation Phase”, covering actions that a port could undertake in the event of a health crisis situation due to a pandemic and in the “Mitigation Phase”, proposing actions aimed at reducing risks.
EXPLORE MORE ON THE ADVISORY ON PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT IN PORTS
