How Does It Work?
Port Data Module
In many ports, it is useful to gather port data into one agreed document to provide a common basis of understanding, this can be achieved through using the Port Assessment Tool and the Port Data Module. Completion of this module is best achieved through the use of stakeholder panels with functional knowledge of their respective areas of nautical safety, environmental protection, port efficiency and crisis management. Completion of the Port Data Module provides an agreed statement which is produced as a printable document termed the baseline report. This provides a starting point for using the risk management module.
Operational Risk Management Module
The core of the port assessment process is embodied in this module. The application guides the user through the following steps:
- hazard identification – scenarios described in terms of worst credible and most likely
- risk assessment – probability and effects in terms of people, property (damage), profits and planet (environmental damage)
- cause determination – used for analysing trends
- risk control options – existing controls and possible future controls
The module provides an overview of assessed hazards which can be sorted by the user to display the order of severity, type or review date with quick-launch links to the assessment record.
Within the assessment record for each hazard, the module provides an overview of determined causes, existing risk controls and possible future risk control options. These overviews are based and ordered on the risk scores of the related hazards and there are specific weighting factors built into the system. In this way, the overviews provide clear indications for setting priorities and providing clarification to those responsible for making strategic decisions.
The concept is based on the idea that port assessment is a continuous process with regular reviews based on real events (accidents/incidents) or in response to new situations making the assessments and review process part of the ports ongoing risk management process
Accident and Incident Report Module
Accidents and incidents can be registered using this module. This provides an important administrative function with the added benefit that risk assessments can be quickly tagged to actual records of incidents making the assessment of risk more relevant to the user. Whenever an actual accident or incident is registered, the system will alert the user that a comparable hazard has already been assessed and might be reviewed or conversely that such an assessment does not exist and therefore needs adding. This feedback loop improves the application.