Port of Salalah has demonstrated its track record for responsible and safe operations, having surpassed a safety milestone by achieving over 300 days with no Lost Time Injury (LTI), as well as receiving a 2014 Global Green Award at the Green Economy Forum held in Berlin recently.
"Respect for the environment and a focus on adherence to sound health, safety and environmental practices are important facets of our corporate culture and reflect a company-wide commitment to the communities where APM Terminals operates," said David Gledhill, who has joined the Port of Salalah as Chief Executive Officer in April of this year.
The company as a whole has achieved 300 consecutive days with no LTI, equivalent to approximately 4.5 million manhours, and besting the company's previous record of 170 days which had equated to 2.5 million manhours. As the port operates nonstop and all year round, this equates to an average of 625 manhours per hour.
"Safety is embedded in all aspects of our operations and is a shared responsibility by every employee. Likewise, this achievement is a shared honor for everyone," said Ahmed Akaak, Deputy CEO at Port of Salalah.
The Global Green Award was presented to the company in recognition of the company's environmental achievements and sustainable practices over the past five years.
In 2009 the Port of Salalah had launched its SWITCH program to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% within four years, and successfully achieved the mark through implementing a series of projects, including automation of crane flood lights and campaigns to turn off vehicles during downtime. The port records show an overall reduction of CO2 from 73,044 KG in 2009 to 53,204 KG in 2013.
Other environmental initiatives include upcycling of oil drums into tree and plant holders, recycling and reusing tires, recycling plastic bottles, and supporting a local native tree project. The port also issued its first Sustainability Summary last year.
"We continue to move ideas into action and offer opportunities to engage employees in meaningful dialogue to cultivate the potential bottom line of sustainability. We provide whatever we can of physical and theoretical tools to develop our staff, and hence earn the better results in safety practices," said Mohammed Al Maashani, Head of HSSE at Port of Salalah.