USPA specified criteria and documents necessary to obtain status of port operator
Ukrainian Seaports Authority (USPA) says it has specified the criteria and documents necessary to obtain the status of the port operator by sending an appropriate explanation to its branch offices (seaports).
«We observe growth of contradictions between different port operators on the territory of seaports lately. However, creation of unified rules for everyone is our primal task. We defined two basic requirements for operation of the port business: efficiency and safety of cargo handling operations», Raivis Veckagans, the Head of USPA comments.
The Law on Seaports of Ukraine established obligatory conditions for port business operation on the seaports` territory. Analyzing the industry legislation, USPA experts have specified a number of additional important criteria affecting the safety of operations in the seaport. First of all, port operators should comply with the requirements of the safety of navigation, environmental safety, maintenance and storage of goods standards, including prepared technical data sheets for handling various cargo.
In addition, the port operator should bear responsibility for port facilities protection; comply with the labor protection standards when operating with high-danger mechanisms. The legislation also has severe safety requirements for employees when working with dangerous cargo and the availability of necessary firefighting equipment.
Thus, the port operator should ensure the maintenance and storage of cargo as well as safe moorage and service of vessels and passengers at seaports.
Therefore, the company can obtain the status of the port operator and conclude an agreement for special access to the berth only after USPA verifies the compliance with all the necessary criteria.
Among the documents required to obtain the status of the port operator:
• Documents confirming the existence of handling equipment or the similar;
• Contract for the use of storage facilities on the port territory;
• Permission for pollutant emissions;
• Technical data sheets, approved by the State Ecological Inspectorate;
• Port facilities security plan or the similar commitment to implement the port facilities security plan;
• Certificate confirming employees` knowledge of dangerous cargo transportation subject issued to the employee of the port operator (in case the port operator plans to handle dangerous cargo);
• Permission to carry out dangerous works and use high-danger equipment;
• Certificate of labor protection;
• Document of compliance technical base to the requirements of fire safety legislation and, in some cases, positive conclusion on the results of fire prevention expertise of the enterprise or the facility;
• Agreement with the certified emergency rescue services;
• Emergency response plan or instruction on the actions of the personnel in case of threat or emergencies.