WHS New Zealand: The Role of Automation in Protecting Reefer Workers

The story of WHS New Zealand

Workplace health and safety (WHS) is an important issue across all industries, but it becomes even more important in high-risk environments such as container terminals. Refrigerated container management brings with it additional hazards, from electrical risks to refrigerant leaks, making strategies to ensure worker safety imperative.

The various organisations and committees still have a long way to go, as the situation regarding occupational safety on the island is not particularly good. The New Zealand Herald quotes from a report that workers are twice as likely to die in NZ than in Australia. "Workplace health and safety is severely lacking, with almost one in two New Zealanders affected by workplace incidents, according to new research." (1)

Due to this fact, which also affects the port sector, where there have been 18 fatal accidents, and 397 reported notifiable injuries between 2012 and 2021 (2), Maritime NZ was established as the responsible health and safety regulator for the 13 major ports of Aotearoa ("The Land of the Long White Cloud", the original Maori name for New Zealand):

Maritime NZ: A Leader in Maritime Safety and Environmental Stewardship

Maritime New Zealand (Maritime NZ) is the national maritime regulatory, compliance and response agency responsible for the safety and environmental protection of New Zealand's marine environment. Established in 1993, it is one of four Crown agencies overseen by the Ministry of Transport.

Its key responsibilities are:

• Developing and overseeing maritime safety and marine protection regulations.
• Certifying seafarers and registering vessels.
• Conducting safety inspections of New Zealand and foreign-flagged vessels in New Zealand ports.
• Investigating and analysing marine casualties and accident trends.
• Promoting safe recreational boating on New Zealand's seas, rivers and lakes.
• Ensuring that port facilities and New Zealand vessels meet maritime safety requirements.
• Providing and operating lighthouses and other navigational aids.
• Administering the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand.
• Providing a marine protection service.

The organisation's vision is to "Prevent harm. Save lives. Secure our future". That is exactly what it does as a key member of the Port Health and Safety Leadership Group (along with unions, ports, stevedoring companies, and the Port Industry Association): Shape, support and monitor the Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan.

The Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan

The plan was developed in response to two fatal accidents involving dock workers in Auckland and Lyttelton. Transport Minister Michael Wood asked the Leadership Group for its expertise on a package of measures that would also include regulatory standards.

Three overarching problem sources were identified:

Inconsistency

Lack of consistency affects both good and bad practices. Areas such as training standards, communication methods, traffic management plans, shift planning and fatigue management would benefit enormously from consistent national policies and enforcement.

Of course, each port has unique conditions, but some inconsistencies could not be explained conclusively. More systematic approaches to safety management are lacking, particularly when it comes to risk mitigation measures and control hierarchy.

Workplace Culture

Commitment to workplace safety also depends heavily on company culture. While the "safety first" approach is generally accepted, qualitative data suggests that, in practice, productivity and profit often take priority, sending mixed signals to workers.

This also affects the way concerns are received and addressed and the extent to which leadership ensures that safety policies are effectively implemented on the ground. In addition, collaboration between different companies operating in ports influences overall safety outcomes. A key factor here is the ability of workers to challenge unsafe practices and stop work when necessary.

Labour Issues

As in other industries, labour shortages are one of the most pressing challenges in the port sector. As more and more tasks are distributed among the same number of workers, there is increased strain, fatigue and risk of injury. Inadequate supervision further reduces safety, especially in emergencies.

There is a risk that warnings will not be passed on due to communication gaps. These can also arise from high turnover when inexperienced workers unknowingly introduce safety risks. Increased pressure to be productive on a few leads to shortcuts in safety protocols, leading to more accidents. 24/7 on-call duty dangerously tilts the work-life balance and contributes to chronic fatigue.

The labour shortage is due to several factors: after-effects of the COVID-19 epidemic, immigration policy, training gaps and the declining attractiveness of the sector due to pay, conditions and safety concerns. In addition, some of the experienced workforce is retiring, taking valuable knowledge and skills with them.

What Are the Key Risks in Reefer Management?

Electrical risks

Refrigerated containers require three-phase electrical systems with a supply voltage of 440/460 volts. For healthy adults, exceeding the low voltage of 50 V AC or 120 V DC is considered a life-threatening situation. Tasks such as connecting and disconnecting refrigerated containers to the power grid, checking power sources or troubleshooting electrical faults require extensive training and constant vigilance. The moisture and humidity lurking in port environments, in particular, increase the risk even further, for example, through short circuits or electrical malfunctions (see also: 101 reefer plugs).

Manual Inspections

Refrigerated containers must be monitored to ensure temperature control and operational functionality. The traditional approach involves regular manual inspections, which also expose workers to extreme weather conditions, confined spaces and repetitive strain injuries. Staying on the racks increases the risk of slips and falls.

Interactions with Heavy Machinery

Reefers are containers with benefits, which means that all the risks that apply to dry containers also apply to them. They are moved by heavy machinery such as cranes, reach stackers and huge forklifts. Aside from connecting and disconnecting power, manual inspection and maintenance of refrigerated container units also require workers to navigate these high-traffic areas, increasing the risk of accidents. Hot angles, human error and mechanical failures can result in serious injury or death.

The Port Sector Insights Picture Action Plan, which is so important for the maritime sector of WHS New Zealand, lists the following findings:

• Higher cargo volumes appear to correlate with increased harm incidents.
• Bulk cargo is generally less risky, likely due to greater mechanisation.
• Weather conditions may raise injury risks, especially for lashing, straddle driving, and forklift operations.
• Straddle, forklift, and lashing incidents surged in 2021 across all severity levels.
• Vehicle incidents on the wharf are more frequent than expected, with 25% involving another vehicle.
• Trucks are the leading cause of harm, followed by cranes, straddles, and forklifts.
• Back, neck, and head injuries are common in vehicle-related incidents.
• Increased straddle incidents may link to rising back injuries, while more lashing incidents coincide with higher neck and shoulder injuries.

How Can Reefer Monitoring Automation Support WHS New Zealand?

The Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan presented above clearly states: "Mechanisation and the removal of people from harm's way have been signalled as key to meeting commercial requirements while minimising the potential for harm to workers." This is exactly what automated reefer management achieves:

Remote Reefer Monitoring: Reducing Physical Checks

If temperature control is still carried out manually at a port, workers are exposed to the risks of reefer containers in addition to the already hazardous environment of container terminals.

Remote reefer monitoring systems eliminate the need for constant manual checks by providing real-time temperature, power status and alarm notifications from a central platform. Operators can access reefer container data on dashboards from the safety of offices and are also notified by alarms should deviations in the required parameters occur.

If the reefer monitoring system also has the functionality to change the settings, in many cases, a physical visit to the reefer can be avoided. This increases the efficiency of reefer management by saving time in resolving problems while prioritising worker safety and ensuring compliance with WHS regulations.

Automated Alerts and Predictive Maintenance for Risk Prevention

Traditional maintenance occurs regularly or in response to a malfunction. In the latter case, the damage has already been done, and emergency repairs must be carried out under pressure, no matter the conditions. The new approach of predictive maintenance significantly reduces workplace hazards by identifying potential reefer malfunctions before they escalate. In addition, port operations are not unnecessarily delayed because equipment can usually be taken out of service in a planned manner.

The alarms mentioned above report more than just when predefined conditions are exceeded or not met. They also report when a unit is disconnected from the power supply for too long, for example, because the move from the berth to the yard takes too long or the connection was simply forgotten.

FAQ

What Is the Role of Automation in Workplace Safety?

Technology use and automation have long played a critical role in improving workplace safety in virtually all industries. From the early days of industrial mechanisation to modern digital advances, automation has continuously reduced workers' exposure to dangerous tasks.

A fairly early example is the introduction of mechanical looms in textile manufacturing, which significantly reduced the risk of repetitive strain injuries and accidents from manual handling. Similarly, the automotive industry saw significant safety improvements with the introduction of robotic assembly lines, minimising worker exposure to dangerous machinery and heavy lifting.

Time and time again throughout history, heavy, dangerous and tedious repetitive work has been transferred from humans to machines, replacing jobs involving manual tasks with more demanding ones, such as machine operators.

Today, automation is an integral part of workplace safety; for example, safety systems in manufacturing plants detect anomalies and shut down equipment before an accident occurs. In our case, an example of proactive safety thinking would be setting up a process where a reefer can only be moved if the system detects and confirms that it has been disconnected from the circuit.

Takeaway

Ensuring the safety of workers in reefer container operations is a pressing challenge for New Zealand's ports, where inconsistent safety practices, labour shortages and rising accident rates increase risks. Research relevant to WHS New Zealand has shown that mechanisation is a key strategy to mitigate these hazards – an approach directly supported by the automation of reefer container monitoring.

By reducing the need for manual inspections, enabling remote monitoring, and introducing predictive maintenance, automation increases not only safety but also efficiency. Since ports often struggle to balance occupational safety with productivity requirements, investing in automated reefer container management is a critical step towards a safer and more economically sustainable future.

Delve deeper into one of our core topics: Reefer Monitoring

Glossary

A Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) is a data-driven approach to managing fatigue-related risks. It involves continuous monitoring and assessment of fatigue hazards, implementing mitigation strategies, and evaluating their effectiveness. FRMS includes multiple layers of defence, such as company support and incident reporting processes. This system aims to enhance safety and operational flexibility by addressing fatigue systematically, beyond prescriptive work hour limitations. By focusing on the root causes of fatigue, FRMS helps reduce errors and accidents, ensuring a safer working environment for seafarers and improving overall maritime safety. (3)

Refrigerant leaks in reefer containers are a common and serious issue that can compromise the cooling efficiency and overall performance of the unit. These leaks occur when the refrigerant, crucial for the cooling process, escapes from the system through damaged pipes, connections, or components. Leaks can result from wear and tear, corrosion, or physical damage. They lead to reduced cooling capacity, increased energy consumption, and potential cargo spoilage. Regular monitoring of refrigerant levels, pressure checks, and visual inspections are essential for early detection. Prompt repair by certified technicians is crucial to prevent further damage, ensure optimal performance, and avoid environmental harm from released refrigerants. (4)

Sources

(1) https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/lack-of-workplace-health-and-safety-slammed-in-new-report-workers-twice-as-likely-to-die-in-nz-than-in-australia/RCSB6P2MFFGBTEDGVSUCHSXEPE/

(2) https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/media/do0dz0vs/port-sector-insights-picture-action-plan.pdf

(3) Ann Williamson, et al. (2011): Fatigue Management in the Workplace. CRC Press.

(4) Andrew D. Althouse, Carl H. Turnquist, et al. (2019): Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Goodheart-Willcox.

Author

Conny Stickler, Marketing Manager Logistics

Constance Stickler holds a master's degree in political science, German language and history. She spent most of her professional career as a project and marketing manager in different industries. Her passion is usability, and she's captivated by the potential of today's digital tools. They seem to unlock endless possibilities, each one more intriguing than the last. Constance writes about automation, sustainability and safety in maritime logistics.

Find here a selection of her articles