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ICHCA Analysis Focuses on Fatalities Risks

[ August 1, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

The International Cargo Handling Coordination Association, or ICHCA, has conducted an analysis of nearly 500 incidents involving shore workers over the last 25 years, with its findings on the ICHCA Severe Risks Dashboard.

Key findings include:

• An almost equal split between on-vessel and onshore risk to port workers.

• Three out of four incidents occurred during cargo operations.

• Crush by cargo has been the leading historic cause of fatalities, accounting for a quarter of all incidents in the dataset.

• About 23 percent of high consequence incidents involve vehicle/pedestrian impact, chiefly involving pedestrians and mobile handling equipment, making it the close second highest type of fatal incident 

• Falls are the third highest cause of death.

 • Incidents occurring in confined or enclosed spaces also stands out as a key hazard.

ICHCA, the independent organization dedicated to improving safety in cargo handling globally, presents its analytical tool to focus attention of the critical dangers to life and limb in the sector.  It highlights the need for concerted, on-going risk management in the shore-side cargo handling work environment.

ICHCA has used data going back to 2000, to research causes of workplace fatalities in the global cargo handling sector. While it is understood that the dataset can’t be comprehensive, it does give a unique insight into the nature of incidents resulting in a fatality on a worldwide basis.

“Our intention is to raise the level of awareness of these fatal incidents and their primary causes,” said Richard Steele, CEO of ICHCA International. “Together with our members, we believe that safeguarding all workers employed both directly and indirectly in the workplace is the prime responsibility of operating organizations and authorities of cargo terminals. Through this greater awareness and knowledge, we aim to help minimize these risks in the future.”

The Severe Risks Dashboard is routinely updated and is provided by ICHCA for download (https:// https://ichca.com/ichca-severe-risks-dashboard).

Facts and data don’t tell the whole story, ICHCA said. Individual circumstances surrounding these unfortunate events are pivotal to causes and outcomes. Trends however can be discerned and point the way to necessary ongoing improvements in safety protocols.

ICHCA’s dashboard also considers how best to mitigate incidents and their consequences depending on the causal circumstances, beyond the above mentioned crush by cargo and pedestrian accidents, to include fall from height, operating in confined or enclosed spaces, loading and discharge, maintenance and operating of handling equipment and third-party vehicle access. The association advises precautionary steps such as:

• Retesting existing management controls for focus, completeness and robustness.

• Reaffirming that work as designed into procedures to address these essential risks actually translates into work as done on the ground.

• Engaging with workforces and other stakeholders to seek well-managed, cooperative change and innovation.

“Creating a safer, healthier workplace is not just the prime responsibility of those managing our industry, it also makes sound business sense; safe organizations are sustainable organizations,” Steele said. “This is the passion of ICHCA and its members. We believe the future of safety is not beyond the horizon but that we can make changes to the way we work right now. ICHCA’s ongoing attention to the causes of fatalities is one part of ICHCA’s contribution to these changes.”

Tags: ICHCA, International Cargo Handling Coordination Association, Richard Steele