SSE TERMINALS GUIDELINES

BEST PRACTICES STANDARDS

Card No BPS-040 Version 2014-10-20 Page 1 sur 3

Occupational Health

Content

1. Aim of the Best Practice Standard ..................................................................................... 2

2. Scope ................................................................................................................................ 2

3. Definitions and abbreviations ............................................................................................. 2

4. Contents of the Best Practice Standard ............................................................................. 2

5. Appendices ....................................................................................................................... 3
 SSE TERMINALS GUIDELINES
BEST PRACTICES STANDARDS

Card No BPS-040 Version 2014-10-20 Page 2 sur 3

Occupational Health

1. Aim of the Best Practice Standard

The aim of this standard is to provide best practices and hazards regarding health of
workers. This standard has to be matched with national legal requirements.

2. Scope

Terminals, Stevedoring companies, and Dry Ports included in the SSE Coordination level 1:
Terminal Link, CMA Terminals and CMA CGM Antilles-Guyane.

3. Definitions and abbreviations

Go to Glossary

4. Contents of the Best Practice Standard

Employees should be fit for the work which they are employed for. They should be protected
as much as possible from health hazards that may arise from the activity itself, the means to
carry out that activity, the work environment or the organization of the work.
The health and fitness for work of employees who regularly work in areas or operations
known to include health hazards should be regularly monitored by competent persons to do
so.
Health risk assessment is carried out both with safety risk assessment as mentioned in the
BPS-020 SSE risk assessment approach.
The main health hazards that can arise from terminal’s operations can be divided into four
basic groups;
- Physical
 Noise, excessive heat, dampness, electrical shock, radiant energy (UV), & air
pressure, fatigue

- Chemical
 Exposure to toxic material such as dust, fumes, gases, particulates.
 Oils & lubricants
 Hazardous substances, including cargoes

- Ergonomic
 Muscular skeletal, work conditions, stress, people-machine interface
(Vibration)

- Biological
 Infections
 Acute; effects are immediate to single short-term exposures.
 Chronic; effects are long-term response to prolonged exposure.
 Exposure to: dangerous goods and fumigation, and dusty cargoes.
 SSE TERMINALS GUIDELINES
BEST PRACTICES STANDARDS

Card No BPS-040 Version 2014-10-20 Page 3 sur 3

Occupational Health

Exposure of employees to particular hazardous substances should be measured. Results

should be compared with applicable standards.
For chemical exposure, Recommended or mandatory occupational exposure limits (OELs)
have been developed in many countries for airborne exposure to gases, vapours and
particulates. The most widely used limits, called threshold limit values (TLVs), are those
issued in the United States of America by the American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
For airborne exposures, there are three types of limits in common use:
- the time-weighted average (TWA) exposure limit - the maximum average
concentration of a chemical in air for a normal 8-hour working day and 40-hour week;
- the short-term exposure limit (STEL) - the maximum average concentration to which
workers can be exposed for a short period (usually 15 minutes);
- the ceiling value - the concentration that should not be exceeded at any time.
Agency responsible for the establishment and publication of exposure limits in each country
is available on ILO website:
http://www.ilo.org/safework/info/publications/WCMS_151534/lang--en/index.htm#P95_6270

Employees exposed to hazardous materials should be trained, equipped and provided with
material safety data sheets. The materials should be adequately labelled with the contents.
Workers should be advised as to the precautions to be taken when exposed to these
materials.
The terminal should have a program to assist employees in their recovery like a back to work
program.
The Terminal should have a health monitoring program for employees. Including a recovery
program (back to work program).

5. Appendices

None