ABP invests to improve container handling safety

Associated British Ports has installed new pinning stations at its Humber container terminals in partnership with local supplier Grimsby Pipework and Engineering Ltd, addressing one of the highest-risk operations on busy container terminals. Four stations have been installed at the Port of Immingham, with a further four to follow at the Port of Hull. Pinning operations, which involve operatives removing twist lock pins from the four corners of containers as they sit on trailers, represent a significant safety challenge due to exposure to overhead hazards and surrounding vehicle movement. The new stations are positioned offset from the vessel within marked areas, physically protecting pinners from these risks. Red and green signal lights indicate when container transfer tugs can safely enter the pinning zone, and the stations are fabricated to allow pinners to safely reach pins from within the protected structure.