Crane saftey clarification

Dear Sir

The story “Crane safety should not be optional” in your December issue was accompanied by a picture taken at the Port of Felixstowe, and a caption stating that the joint crane safety project would reduce injuries and damage in the event of accidents.

To avoid anyone getting the wrong impression, could I emphasise that crane safety is not seen as “optional” at the Port of Felixstowe. On the contrary, the port is a market leader in safe working practices, and many of the measures taken at Felixstowe have been adopted by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as examples of best practice in the industry.

It was as a result of the stringent safety measures in place at Felixstowe that no one was injured when the 2 cranes illustrated collapsed in 2008 after being struck by a vessel. Furthermore, cranes at Felixstowe are already specified to the highest standard, including the safety features referred to in the article.

Thank you for printing this clarification.

Best regards

Paul Davey

Head of Corporate Affairs

Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited