Sustainability

Port protection

Port Protection

Regulations for the protection of vessels and port installations.

In 1974 the International Maritime Organization approved an International Agreement for the Safety of Human Life art Sea (SOLAS) which includes an annex containing regulations and requirements for the safety of vessels and people. These regulations are based fundamentally on two documents:

  • Agreement for the Safety of Human Life at Sea ( SOLAS, 1974)..
  • • International Code for the Protection of Vessels and Port Installations, known as the PBIP code in Spanish and ISPS in English).

To achieve the objectives set out in this Code, governments must, among other actions, collect and evaluate information about possible threats to maritime safety, and insist that all the communication protocols for vessels and port installations are maintained, insist on protection plans for vessels and for port installations and establish systems and protection plans to provide in a coordinated way an adequate level of protection for vessels and port installations.

Hay que tener en cuenta los siguientes aspectos:

RANGE OF APPLICATION

The code will be applied to ships being used for international voyages (passenger ships, cargo ships of 500 GT and upwards) and port installations which provide services to such ships.

PROTECTION LEVELS FOR PORT INSTALLATIONS

The port installation should be prepared to act with three Levels of Protection. The measures and procedures of protection will be applied in port installations in such a way that, without losing any degree of efficiency, unnecessary inconvenience or delay to passengers or ships crews or visitors to the ships, is kept to a minimum, as well as to the movement of goods and services.

  • Level 1: Minimum levels of protection must be maintained at all times; that is the normal level for operations in the port.
  • Level 2: Supplementary levels of protection must be undertaken if there is any increase in the threat level.
  • Level 3: Specific additional measures must be taken for a stipulated time period, in cases where a serious threat is present, suspected, probable or imminent.

EVALUATION OF THE PROTECTION AND PROTECTION PLAN OF THE PORT INSTALLATIONS

Every port will draw up a suitable protection plan for the interphase between vessel and port, which will include the three levels of protection. The Plan, which must be approved by the corresponding government office, must de drawn up on the basis of the results of a Port Installation Protection Plan, which must be carried out first, and which identifies the risks and threats which affect those installations and determine their level of vulnerability.

The Protection Plan will be drawn up taking into account the result of this Evaluation and the indications of the Code, and must include measures to:

  • Prevent arms or dangerous substances etc. getting into the port or aboard vessels.
  • Deny access to unauthorised persons.
  • Establish procedures to cope with threats and to deal with the need for evacuation.
  • Identify the Chief Coordinating Official and provide contact details permanently.
  • Guarantee the effective protection for vessels and the means for loading and unloading.

State Ports has drawn up a methodology for the evaluation of protection and the drawing up of protection plans for port installations, which include the design of information technology tools known as SECUREPORT. These tools have been approved by Ministry of the Interior.

PROTECTION OFFICER FOR PORT INSTALLATIONS

Every port will have a Protection Officer, although the same person could be appointed Protection Officer of more than one port. The Protection Officer of Port Installations(OPIP) must have the required training and experience so that is properly able to carry out his responsibilities.

Plan for port protection

As far as threats of an anti-social nature are concerned (terrorist attacks,  high-jacking, piracy etc.) and complying with the Protection Code for Vessels and Port Installations, the Port Authority of Castellón has carried out an Evaluation of Protection and a Plan of protection for the whole port, which covers at the same time all the evaluations and protection plans of Port Installations within the service are of the Port Authority.

Monitoring acces by persons to the port

People wishing to enter the port may be classified as follows:

PERSONS BELONGING TO THE PORT COMMUNITY OF THE PORT OF CASTELLÓN

Podrán acceder libremente los trabajadores de las Instalaciones Portuarias que dispongan de tarjeta identificativa de la Comunidad Portuaria, existiendo diferentes modelos en función del personal y acceso solicitado.

En función del número de veces que se vaya a acceder, existen tres tipos de autorizaciones:

  • Tarjeta identificativa de la Comunidad Portuaria. Se podrá solicitar a la Autoridad Portuaria de Castellón para todo el personal empleado en una Instalación Portuaria del Puerto, cumplimentando el formulario de solicitud y entregándolo en el Departamento de Operaciones Portuarias.
  • Tarjeta Identificativa Visitas. Podrá solicitar esta tarjeta el personal de aquellas empresas que, por su trabajo, deban acceder con frecuencia al Puerto de Castellón, cumplimentando formulario de solicitud y entregándolo en el Departamento de Operaciones Portuarias.
  • Tarjeta Identificativa para personal de empresas subcontratadas. Es de aplicación a todas las empresas subcontratadas que deban ejecutar un trabajo durante un tiempo determinado en el Puerto de Castellón. Para solicitar las tarjetas, la empresa contratante deberá remitir vía Fax al Departamento de Operaciones Portuarias y, de forma previa al comienzo de los trabajos, el formulario de solicitud y adicionalmente información referente a:
    • Instalación o lugar donde se realizará el trabajo
    • Servicio que va a realizar
    • Tiempo de duración del servicio

En caso de pérdida o extravío de dicha tarjeta se deberá comunicar inmediatamente a la Autoridad Portuaria de Castellón, solicitando un duplicado de Tarjeta Identificativa.

Las tarjetas de identificación, en cualquier modalidad, no suponen nunca una autorización para el acceso a buques o a Instalaciones Portuarias.

PERSONS NOT BELONGING TO THE PORT COMMUNITY OF THE PORT OF CASTELLÓN

Toda persona ajena a la Comunidad Portuaria que acceda al Recinto Portuario de Castellón deberá tener un motivo justificado para hacerlo, habiendo presentado la documentación que se solicita en los epígrafes siguientes:

  • Embarque y desembarque de personal del buque. Tanto para el embarque como el desembarque de personal del buque, la empresa consignataria deberá enviar con al menos 24 horas de antelación de la llegada de buque al Puerto de Castellón la siguiente información:
    • Nombre del buque
    • Medio de transporte si procede
    • Relación de nombres y DNI/Pasaporte/Libreta de Navegación, etc. de las personas. El consignatario comunicará a todos los visitantes y tripulantes de nuevo embarque que deberán llevar el documento de identidad para la salida y entrada del Recinto Portuario.
    • Fecha y hora aproximada de embarque/desembarque
  • Buques de pasaje. El listado de pasajeros deberá estar disponible en el Documento Único de Escala (DUEWEB), colgado en la herramienta informática gestionada por PORTEL, para su consulta en cualquier momento. El buque deberá disponer de un sistema de acreditaciones del personal, tripulación y pasaje que deberá exhibir ante la Guardia Civil o Policía Portuaria cuando sea requerido.

Monitoring access by vehicles to the port.

Monitoring the entrance and exit of vehicles is carries out through an automatic, number plate reading system; details of authorised vehicles are stored on computer.

The Port Police can ask for identification from any person or vehicle entering the port. If their presence cannot be justified,or if a person refuses to provide identification, then the Port Police will refuse permission to enter.

It is assumed that vehicles wishing to enter, do so for one of the following reasons.

  • Utility vehicles with a card for opening barriers. Utility vehicles with this type of identity card, may enter the port by the lanes prepared for them at the access points.
  • Utility Vehicles without cards for opening barriers. Utility vehicles which to not have this identity card have to pass through the lane where they must present identification to the security services, either with a card which authorizes them to gain access to restricted areas of the port or with a personal identification document that enables the Port police to check against a list of authorised personnel only.
  • Other Vehicles. As a general rule permission to enter the port must be sought by any service or vehicle wishing to do so. This permission may be applied for via Fax, with at least 24 hours notice before entering the Port Area, sent to the official in charge of Port Protection at the Port Control building, and should provide the following information:
    • Name of the Port Installation
    • Service which they wish to carry out or other motive for the visit.
    • Name and ID number of persons and registration number of any vehicle.
    • Approximate time, and date of arrival.