locks. Emergency situations can occur whenone employee sees another employee beneatha load, or when a container is not properly dis-connected from a chassis, resulting in acciden-tal lifting of the tractor and chassis with anemployee inside.

Radio CommunicationA means of communication is required betweenthe operator's cab and the base of the gantry ofall rail-mounted cranes. This requirement canbe met by telephone, radio, a sound-signalingsystem or other effective methods, but not sole-ly by hand-signaling, 29 CFR 1917.45(g)(10).

Hazards of Container Operations Container ships come in and out of ports on aregular basis. At each port, containers must bedischarged and loaded. This requires closecoordination by terminal and longshore per-sonnel working on the ground, on the ship andin the crane. Employees on the ground and onthe ship must pay close attention to their sur-roundings at all times. Employees have beencrushed by containers (either falling or beingset down), run over by vehicles, and crushedby moving cranes. Cargo operations are partic-ularly hazardous when things do not go asplanned, such as when a twistlock becomesjammed, when a container is placed in thewrong position on the ship, or when a vehicleis accidentally lifted along with the container.

The Need for Communication Depending on the particular operation,employees under the crane and/or aboard shipmay need to communicate with the craneoperator. These employees must be able tocommunicate rapidly and accurately with thecrane operator to help direct the operation andensure that safety is maintained. During rou-tine operations, employees typically communi-cate with the crane operator using hand sig-nals recognized at the port. However, duringnon-routine tasks or in an emergency, employ-ees may need more interactive communicationwith the crane operator. Non-routine tasksinclude handling oversized or unusuallyshaped cargo, hoisting personnel, and han-dling damaged containers or jammed twist-

FactSheetRadio Communication Can AssistContainer Gantry Crane Operators in Marine TerminalsContainer gantry crane operators load and discharge hundreds of containers in a systematic fashion. The crane operators rely on their line of vision and on signals ordirections from employees on the ship and on the ground below to guide them intheir lifts. Risk of injuries can be reduced by the use of radio communication by thecrane operators and longshore personnel.

Figure 1. Container gantry crane off-loading containers.

The availability and use of radios to communi-cate with the crane operator is a particularlyeffective way to reduce the risk of injuries asso-ciated with container operations. In addition:• The radio should be tested prior to use to

ensure that the transmission is clear andreliable.

• Each crane should use a separate channel, iffrequencies are available.

• The operator’s radio should be equipped witha hands-free system.

• Radios should not be used for personal com-munication or discussions not related to theoperation at hand.

• Make sure that the crane operator and otherground personnel communicating with thecrane operator have been trained on how toproperly use the radio equipment.

Radio communication across the terminal alsoplays an important part in responding to acci-dents and in safely moving equipment and per-

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

sonnel across the terminal. OSHA believes thatby using radio communication between person-nel working on the ground, on the ship and inthe crane, the number of accidents in this haz-ardous work environment can be reduced.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

DSG 06/2007

Figure 2. Container gantry operator working a vessel.