Sphere No.48 (Jan 2020)

Those burning the candle at both ends are the unsung heroes of the night. For those working on the ground, they often prefer the night shift, according to Mr Machima. For one thing, it is cooler – an important consideration in the tropics. Less traffic means a more relaxed pace – including a 3am exercise wake-up session. Housekeeping happens at night, meaning the grounds look their best first thing in the morning due to the work of the night shift. And while there may be concerns about focus, again technology helps. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology means the remote-control and automated cranes can find and move the right container, every time. Those on the ground can focus on those moments when they need to check things not part of the Laem Chabang system. One example would be containers coming in on lorries. The technology has dramatically improved safety. Comparing traditional Quay Cranes << Sphere #48 2020 13 (QC) and Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGC) to their remote control (RC) cousins, the difference is stark. In 2018, traditional QCs and RTGCs had 23 and 20 incidents, respectively. The RC versions had 2 (RC QC) and 0 (RC RTGC) accidents, respectively. Ports also track the speed performance of major ships as a benchmark. At Hutchison Ports Thailand, the night shift is a winner. The Hong Kong Express , a ship owned by Hapag-Lloyd, saw a record-breaking turnaround on 4 August 2019. Between 3am and 4am, 217 containers handled by five RC QCs were discharged using remote-control technology and the average crane operating rate during this period of time was 43 moves per hour. Likewise, the handling of ONE AQUILA resulted in a similar record for containers moved. On 17 June 2019, between 1am and 2am, 151 containers handled by four RC QCs were discharged and the average crane operating rate was nearly 33 moves per hour. Mr Machima is a huge proponent of using technology at night to compensate for our natural tendency to want to sleep. With a little vigorous exercise and smart use of tech, he and his colleagues are demonstrating that they can maximise efficiency and minimise accidents, showing the world that the way forward is the great work that is done at night. For many, night- time isn’t a tough time – it’s the best time. Mr Machima says it again – with gusto: “Work like Batman! Night-time is the best!” Those burning the candle at both ends are the unsung heroes of the night. The work done in the dark hours ensures that the creatures of the daytime awake to find the world refreshed, orderly and ready for action. Otherwise, half of every day would be spent recovering from the day before. Progress would move at half speed. CK Hutchison’s night shift puts the port in order, the veg in the supermarkets, the gas in the pipes and the electric juice in the great city of London. It isn’t exactly easy, but if you know how to do it right, mankind really can be at its best during the night. Modern stevedores don’t get their hands dirty, but they get the job done all night long using remote-control tech. Lighting and camera technology deployed by Hutchison Ports Thailand creates a night-time working environment that allows for maximum performance around the clock.