Dublin Port Company has been shortlisted in the 2026 TT Club Innovation in Safety Awards for its work in transforming safety culture across a complex multi-operator port environment.
Before Dublin SafePort, safety at the Port of Dublin was handled by individual terminals, resulting in inconsistent procedures and standards that complicated port-wide risk management and increased operational risk.
Dublin SafePort was developed in response to these conditions. Led by Dublin Port Company, the initiative brings terminal operators together to address safety issues at port level rather than on a terminal-by-terminal basis.
The programme is structured around collaboration, with terminal operators involved as participants in defining common standards rather than simply adopting centrally imposed rules.
A core element of the initiative has been the alignment of safety practices across the seven main terminal operators.
This has included work on standardising training approaches, safety communications and operational procedures, as well as creating formal mechanisms for sharing lessons learned across the port.
Regular dialogue between operators has been used to identify gaps, compare practices and agree on practical improvements.
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Implementation has been supported by external stakeholders, including the Health and Safety Authority and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, alongside specialist consultancy input.
Initial actions such as harmonised speed limits and consistent PPE requirements were introduced to provide clear, port-wide reference points and to demonstrate the feasibility of aligned standards.
Workforce engagement has been delivered through designated SafePort Champions, supported by visible management involvement.
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The initiative has also extended its engagement to infrastructure and transport organisations operating within or alongside the port, with a view to sharing experience and maintaining consistency beyond terminal boundaries.
According to Dublin Port Company, the approach has led to closer cooperation between terminal operators and a more coordinated approach to safety across a high-activity port handling around 50 ship movements and 17,000 vehicles per day.
For more information:
TT Club – https://www.ttclub.com/
ICHCA – https://ichca.com/
