PortVision explains new MTMSA guidelines

The OCIMF recently established a new set of Standardised Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and best practices in its Terminal Management and Self Assessment (MTSMA) guide for terminal operators. The aim of the guide is to improve safety and environmental protection standards. Major oil companies will use the guide to evaluate their own terminals and third party operators.

According to PortVision, terminal operators are likely to find the implementation of an MTMSA programme challenging, costly and time consuming, but achievable through the use of terminal enterprise software suites, which are already used by major oil companies to assess management system effectiveness for berth operations and ship-to-shore interface. Operators who fail to upload their results to the OCIMF database and score a high enough score could lose business to competitors who do.

Jason Tieman, director of operations, PortVision, told Port Strategy: “This standardised tool will not only assist terminals in setting benchmarks against the MTMSA KPIs, allowing them to meet new levels of efficiency and safety, but will also give the liquid cargo owners a consistent and transparent way to evaluate their own liquid terminals and qualify those run by third-party operators.”

He added: “Terminal operators will find that early adoption of the MTMSA process will provide a competitive advantage because liquid cargo owners will begin to apply the MTMSA criteria in their terminal vetting process.”