ISPS Code: Ports Ready to Tackle Explosions
Maritime
By Francis Ugwoke
As part of the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code which took off yesterday, securty personnel at all ports in the country have been trained on how to tackle explosions when they occur.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) last weekend carried out an operation at the Container Terminal port on the request of the Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) as required by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for all ports.
The demonstration involved a mock security exercise in search of an improvised explosive device at the port.
At the start of the exercise, the entire area such as the PSO's office and car park, container terminal, administrative block, surroundings and generator house were cordoned off while human beings were evacuated to a mustard point for safety.
A statement signed by the Senior Principal Manager, Corporate Affairs, Alhaji Issa Suwaid, said leaders of the teams sent coded messages to the search teams to aid in the operation.
"All suspected areas were combed with a fine tooth pick and eventually the device was found by Team C", the statement said.
According to it, the security consultant was quoted to have praised the search teams for handling the exercise professionally inspite of the fact that it was the first time.
The consultant advised the security personnel to always put off their walkie-talkies whenever the device was found in order not to trigger an explosion.
NPA's Managing Director, Chief Adebayo Saumi, who was part of the exercise told the search teams, who are all security personnel trained for such exercise, to replicate the same exercise in other ports in Lagos on a busy day so as to note the response of people during emergencies at the ports.
Sarumi was of the view that since there could be more than one device at any particular time, it was important to make use of dogs sniffing the entire area, especially the car parks, for explosives.
One of the team leaders suggested the use of a central alarm system to signal danger to staff and others who might be within the port premises at the time.
Sarumi had last week announced strict security measures at the nation's ports as part of the implementation of the ISPS Code introduced by the IMO, a world maritime regulatory body for member nations.
Part of the measures include the introduction of electronic security systems at gates to check human traffic into the seaports.
Under the system which will be installed once construction work at the gates is completed, port users will be expected to possess electronic cards which will enable them have access into the ports.
Sarumi disclosed that terminal operators who in September this year may take over port operations will also introduce their own electro-nic systems in their respective terminals.
ISPS Code whose introduction by the IMO was induced by the United States government in response to the September 11 attacks, is a set of security rules to check terrorism in all maritime nations.
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