PSS launches 2026 container safety campaign

Port Skills and Safety (PSS) has today launched its 2026 container safety campaign, focused on strengthening safety performance in container operations across the UK port sector.

Container operations remain one of the most complex and high-risk activities undertaken in ports. Industry incident statistics have shown that container ships have been one of the top locations for lost time injuries for the past five years.

2026 container safety campaign

The campaign will include:

• Review and relaunch of the Container Deck Operations Vessel and Port Charter to reinforce clear expectations around safe working practices.
• Continued promotion of Safety in Ports Guidance SiP003 – Container Handling, with particular focus on how the guidance is implemented in ports and embedded at the quayside.
• Increased focus on occupational health in container operations, with particular attention to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), fatigue, and the longer-term effects of repetitive and physically demanding work.
• Greater emphasis on improved safety observations and near-miss reporting to support shared learning across the sector.
• Safety audits focused on container operations.
• Promotion of appropriate training and competence for those involved in container handling operations.

The campaign is expected to culminate in a sector event later in the year, bringing together members and industry partners to share learning, good practice, innovation and emerging challenges in container safety.

The campaign begins with a recent TT Live podcast discussion on the revised Safety in Ports (SiP003) container handling guidance. In the podcast, PSS Health, Safety and Culture Lead, Jen Maddison discusses the practical development of SiP003 and the importance of ensuring guidance remains accessible and usable at the quayside.

The revised guidance is built on industry knowledge and best practice, and sets out practical ‘real world’ expectations for safe container operations. It is freely available on the PSS website: SiP003 – Guidance on Container Handling, with additional resources, including a compliance checklist, related safety alerts and a hazard and operability study (HazOp) report, available to members.

Listen to the podcast here: https://www.ttclub.com/news-and-resources/tt-live-a-tt-club-podcast/article/port-skills-and-safety-with-jen-maddison/.

Get involved

PSS encourages all those involved in container operations to engage actively with the campaign, share their experiences of implementing SiP003, and contribute to strengthening container safety across the sector.