A two-day training course was recently held at La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT), focusing on simulating rescue activities in confined spaces and aimed at managing potential emergencies during maintenance and inspection operations within port cranes.
The activity was conducted in collaboration with Neos srl, a management consulting, training, and personnel development company. The teams were tested on two highly complex real-world scenarios, operating at heights of 25 and 42 meters respectively, and testing recovery and evacuation procedures in confined spaces under operational conditions, from the extrication phase to controlled descent to street level.
The activity enabled the technical validation of the dedicated operating procedure, verifying its effectiveness in the field: this was not simply a LSCT personnel training course, but a structured technical program that combined on-site surveys and analysis of access points via horizontal and vertical manholes with the study of critical issues related to extricating a non-cooperative casualty.
"The maintenance process for terminal equipment is essential to ensure safe and efficient operations and includes ongoing activities, both scheduled and extraordinary. Among the most complex interventions are those in confined spaces, which require careful risk assessment. In these contexts, safety cannot rely on generic solutions: this is why it is necessary to adopt an engineering approach and field-validated procedures specific to each operational context," said Ermanno Gianelli, Quality, Health & Safety Manager at La Spezia Container Terminal.
"In complex confined spaces, emergency management cannot be based on theoretical procedures. We have supported LSCT in developing operating procedures, studying real scenarios, and validating the designed solutions in the field through operational training. This is the approach that ensures effective interventions when they are truly needed," added Carlo Vetrano, engineer at Neos srl.
The drills involved the SAF (Speleo-Alpino-Fluviale) Unit of the Fire Department and the Local Health Authority of La Spezia (ASL), contributing to the technical discussion and verification of the effectiveness of the adopted solutions. The exercises confirmed the adequacy of the equipment and procedures developed, further strengthening the emergency management system and safety protection in the most complex operational activities at the Contship Group's La Spezia terminal.