Busan Port Stevedoring Sites Fall Short of Workforce Standards... BPA Strengthens Safety Management

It has been found that at some sites handling mooring lines during the berthing and unberthing process of ships at Busan Port, an adequate number of workers has not been properly deployed.

Busan Port Authority (BPA, President Song Sangkeun) announced on August 13, 2026, that it held a meeting with representatives from the stevedoring industry at the conference room of the Busan Port Industry Association to review compliance with safety standards and discuss future support measures.

The stevedoring task of mooring lines involves handling mooring ropes, known as "hawsers," when ships dock at or depart from the pier. As the work locations and movement lines change frequently and both vehicles and workers move together, it is crucial to deploy a suitable number of workers according to the work conditions and to strictly follow safe work procedures.

A simple meeting among stevedoring industry members is being held at the Busan Port Industry Association.

In December 2025, Busan Port Authority revised the 'Busan Port Safety Standards Manual' to clearly specify the adequate workforce required for stevedoring work according to the type of operation. The new standards require deploying at least four workers for standard operations and at least six workers for operations involving vehicles.

The manual also allows for the selective use of methods to pull mooring lines—either with a vehicle winch or by attaching them to a hook—depending on the worksite conditions.

Previously, the key causes identified for serious accidents during stevedoring operations included a lack of personnel, the risk of mooring line breakage or impact during shoulder-lifting work, and potential collisions due to mistakes in vehicle operation.

Accordingly, the revised manual prohibits shoulder-lifting work, sets appropriate workforce standards for each work method, and includes required safety measures when vehicles are used in operations.

To confirm whether the revised safety standards are being properly implemented in the field, Busan Port Authority conducted two site inspections this year. During these inspections, some sites were found to be deploying fewer workers than the standards require.

Busan Port Authority released the results of these inspections through the meeting on August 13 and on its official website. The authority plans to offer incentives, such as full support for the purchase of work vehicles, to companies that voluntarily comply with the safety standards.

At the meeting, the necessity of implementing the 'Busan Port Safety Standards Manual' on-site was discussed, along with the challenges and suggestions for improvement from the stevedoring companies. Busan Port Authority plans to enhance the enforceability of safety standards and continuously improve the safety management system for stevedoring work based on the feedback gathered at the meeting.

Song Sangkeun, President of Busan Port Authority, said, "We have established the safety standards by closely collaborating with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and related industry organizations, in order to ensure that stevedoring workers can work safely."

He emphasized, "Safety standards only have meaning when they are observed, so I will make it a priority to ensure that safety rules for stevedoring work become routine at all sites to create a safer Busan Port."

Based on its experience in developing safety standards for stevedoring work, Busan Port Authority also plans to cooperate with the government in establishing national port safety standards and support the dissemination of Busan Port's on-site safety practices to other ports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.