HAZARD makes ports safer

On Tuesday afternoon, State Secretary Dr Annette Tabbara praised HAZARD as an exemplary project that demonstrates how Hamburg benefits from the European Union. She and her delegation visited the HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) as part of her “Europe in Practice: EU Projects in Hamburg” tour. At the event, the Hamburg Fire Department – itself a HAZARD project partner – demonstrated the optimal method for controlling a hazardous substance leak from a container. “HHLA’s contribution to HAZARD has been to show what equipment and materials are most effective when it comes to limiting the impact port emergencies and accidents have on both people and the environment,” explains Norbert Smietanka, head of HHLA’s occupational safety management team and HAZARD project partner. The company has proven itself to be very well-equipped for such eventualities and able to inspire its partner ports to make important improvements.

Some 15 partners from Germany, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden took part in the EU-funded project. Back in September 2018, Burchardkai hosted a HAZARD safety exercise involving 150 emergency service workers and observers from the six Baltic states. In addition to rescuing a VC driver at height, the group also tested a decontamination process to be followed in the event of a chemical accident, HHLA’s internal alarm plan, and how best to cooperate with emergency services. “The project has helped HHLA to further improve our alarm and hazard prevention strategies,” confirms Smietanka. The company has also benefited from new connections with its international partners and its close cooperation with the other Hamburg-based participants: the Hamburg Fire Department and Hamburg University of Technology.