The second stage of Peel Ports Group’s Liverpool2 terminal expansion programme at the Port of Liverpool in the UK has inspired this week's Wednesday Wisdom.
The interesting extract from one of PTI's technical papers comes from Khalid Mahdy, Peel Port’s Ports Training Officer.
‘Consistent Training: The Key to Port Success’ explains why Liverpool2’s crane operators will be some of the best in the business when it comes to the half-billion-dollar investment being fully utilised, unloading two 380-metre vessels simultaneously.
It might seem monotonous but no container or move is the same on the port and this is something we try to replicate in the simulator. There may be lashings stuck to a container, or a damaged twist lock – all of these variables keep the operators alert and challenged.
A fully qualified crane operator is expected to make between 20 to 30 moves an hour – depending of course on variables such as weather, the location of containers on the vessel, the structure of the vessel itself and the container’s exact contents.
Moves are achieved by using two joysticks and a series of button sequencing to activate the twist locks and release containers onto waiting trailers on the quayside. Put simply, the left joystick moves the cab forwards and backwards while the right control lowers and raises the crane spreader.
The key to learning how to operate a crane is depth perception and excellent hand eye coordination with both right and left hands – technical skills which the younger generation are naturally equipped with, given their familiarity with video games and smart phones.
