Limited Stacking Height of Containers
Surabaya (03/01) - The terminal operator company PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas (SPTP) has limited the stacking of containers within the company's premises. This step was taken to anticipate bad weather hitting the container terminal area. All terminals are instructed not to stack containers of more than 4 layers.
Corporate Secretary of PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas Widyaswendra said that limiting the height of container stacking was carried out to minimize falling containers due to strong winds. Under normal conditions, the terminal can stack containers up to 6 layers high. Limiting the stacking of containers is said to have become a company procedure to minimize work accidents due to bad weather.
"All terminals are currently on standby considering the unpredictable weather conditions, especially heavy rain accompanied by strong winds. Apart from that, we also anticipate seawater overflow (rob) entering the terminal area," said Widyaswendra, Monday (02/01).
Container loading and unloading operations at the wharf also adjust to the wind speed at the terminal location. Widyaswendra gave an example that the container loading and unloading activities at TPK New Makassar will be stopped when the wind speed reaches 20 meters per second or around 40 knots. When the wind speed reaches this speed, all personnel are required to leave the loading and unloading equipment immediately and ensure that the storm brakes are applied and the equipment anchor pins are installed.
In addition to anticipating heavy rain and strong winds, SPTP also anticipates seawater overflowing into the terminal area (rob). In the Semarang TPK area, for example, SPTP has prepared 29 water pumps to anticipate sea water entering the terminal operational area. In addition to alerting the pumps, TPK Semarang is also engineering by adding bearings to keep the containers at the lowest position safe from standing water.
"We routinely conduct emergency handling simulations, both strong winds and tidal waters, so that when this happens all personnel are ready and know their respective duties and roles," he explained.
General Manager of PT Tanto Intim Line Medan Branch Bustanul Arifin Siregar said that the uncertain weather conditions did not disrupt the operations of ships heading to or leaving TPK Belawan. This is because the ships operating to the main ports in North Sumatra have an average size of 17,000 gross tonnage (GT). According to him, this did not affect the ship's stability when facing the weather in the middle of the sea.
"We have 3 ship arrivals every week at TPK Belawan, 2 ships from Jakarta and 1 ship from Surabaya. So far there have been no delays, everything is still according to the predetermined docking schedule," he said.
