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Too hot to handle? Rising temperatures pose growing risk for port workers

The giant tower cranes that load and unload container vessels at Singapore’s ports are a testament to the Republic’s trade prowess – but also its vulnerability to heat.

For those who maintain these mammoth machines that tower more than 60m above the wharves, increasingly hot weather is proving to be a challenge.
Engineer Desmond Chia, 39, is part of a rapid-response team trained to keep the cranes working 24/7 by quickly fixing breakdowns at PSA’s port in Pasir Panjang.

This role may see him working on the hydraulic track system that allows the cranes to move along the wharves, or fixing an electrical issue high up in the control room.

But high temperatures at ground level and up on the cranes have been taking a toll on him and his colleagues.

“For the past two years or so, we can feel it is getting warmer than it used to be,” he told The Straits Times, adding there was a joke that on some days, “we can even fry an egg outdoors in the direct sunlight”.

Mr Chia, who has worked at PSA for 12 years, said the hotter weather has become a common topic among his colleagues. Sometimes, “the skin can feel like it’s burning when we are in direct sunlight”.

Ports in Singapore and globally are often highly exposed to the sun. The concrete and asphalt surfaces, as well as stacks of thousands of metal containers in the loading yards and along the wharves, soak up the sun’s heat, raising the ambient temperature. That heat is retained for hours, well into the evening.

Like most major ports around the world, PSA’s operates 24/7. However, the night crew does not necessarily have it much easier when working outdoors.

Associate Professor Jason Lee, director of the Heat Resilience and Performance Centre at NUS Medicine, explained: “Singapore’s high humidity kicks in at night, and this hinders sweat evaporation.”

The body’s internal temperature is also naturally higher at night due to the body clock, which exacerbates heat stress. Many workers are not disciplined to rest enough before night shifts, and this can further exacerbate the risks associated with heat exposure, Prof Lee added. “This is why I say, night shifts may not be a solution to the heat problem.”

Apart from engineers, outdoor workers also include lashing specialists who secure and unsecure containers on ships. This can be especially hot work because they must wear protective gear and work against the clock to load and unload large ships capable of carrying thousands of containers.

Dr Yuka Ujita, a Bangkok-based senior occupational safety and health specialist from the International Labour Organisation, said: “It is likely that the risk to port workers from heat stress is high, given that the probability of their exposure to heat can be high.”

She said the hazards and risk factors, as well as root causes, are different from one worksite to another.

“The first step towards prevention is always risk assessment. Once the deficits or gaps are identified, they can be addressed by adequate control measures,” she said.

Mr Chia said PSA has taken steps to help him and his colleagues cope, including hourly rest breaks on very hot days and access to water coolers. The tower cranes also have air-conditioning in the electrical rooms.

PSA said it has more than 10,000 employees based in Singapore, of whom about 18 per cent have roles that include heavy physical activity under the sun. These numbers exclude its service providers and contractors.

The port operator, which handled 38.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units of containers in 2023, said it has been stepping up measures to reduce heat stress while maintaining productivity.

The range of measures is in line with government guidelines and advice from heat stress specialists, it added.

This includes moving towards more automation in the handling of containers, which has already begun at its operations at a new port in Tuas.

“Outdoor roles are more at risk of heat stress injuries than office-based staff. With technological advancements across our operations, PSA has been able to move more workers into office-based settings accordingly,” it said.

PSA says it enforces compulsory hourly breaks of 10 minutes to 15 minutes when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) exceeds 32 deg C between 8am and 6pm.

The WBGT is used by the Government as a key measure of heat stress on the human body. Apart from temperature, it also takes into account humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.

PSA has also built ventilated amenity shelters with chairs, fans, ice-cold water and a restroom along the wharves. Some of the shelters have air-conditioning.

New workers or those returning from prolonged leave are acclimatised with lighter tasks or night shifts to adjust to the heat. A buddy system has also been implemented, where staff who do outdoor work like Mr Chia are always with a colleague so they can keep an eye on each other’s health.

This reflects a recommendation by the Ministry of Manpower for workers to monitor one another.

Newer protective gear has also helped, Mr Chia said, after the company trialled lighter materials. Safety gear includes overalls, helmet, safety shoes, visibility vest and a harness.

Still, heat risks will only grow as the world keeps warming. And that worries Mr Chia.

“For outdoor work, the weather is getting warmer, so at times, my team can feel we get tired more easily,” he said.

On hotter days, such as when temperatures are at 33 deg C or even 35 deg C, he said his team can work efficiently for only two to three hours before getting tired. “If temperatures keep on increasing, that might be worrying.”
Source: The Straits Times

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