The rise of containerization has brought new challenges for ports and terminals concerned about the health of their operators. Despite increasing focus on crane cabin and workstation design, ergonomic issues such as awkward posture, and environmental factors including heating, ventilation, noise, and vibration, continue to impact crane operators’ wellbeing.
Beyond its personal cost, poor employee health also has detrimental effects on operational safety and productivity. However, the global ports and terminals industry currently lacks a basic, comprehensive list of cabin characteristics that could be used to mitigate the health risks associated with crane cabins and workstations. This paper provides baseline specifications for workstations and crane cabins in relation to ergonomic and safety features.
To make such moves effective, this paper suggests that these recommendations should be included in design tenders requested by crane customers, and that they should also be included as standard…
