HK MBST Container Handling Test cheat sheet

Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Cap. 59) imposes general duties on every proprietor and contractor to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the safety and health of all persons employed in the industrial undertaking.

Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance (Cap. 509) extends the duty to ensure safety and health at work to all workplaces, including container terminals, and covers employees, contractors and visitors present at the site.

The 'reasonably practicable' test balances the likelihood and severity of harm against the cost, time and difficulty of the measures needed to control the risk; disproportionate cost can justify a lower standard.

Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation requires certain undertakings to operate a safety management system with 14 specified elements, including risk assessment, hazard control and accident investigation.

Occupational Safety and Health Regulation places duties on employees to take reasonable care of their own and others' safety, use safety equipment provided, and report hazards and defects promptly.

Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) and manual handling provisions require employers to assess ergonomic risk and reduce it at source before relying on training alone.

Lifting operations fall under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear) Regulations, which require examination, testing and certification by a competent examiner before first use and at prescribed intervals.

Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance section 6 requires the employer to provide information, instruction, training and supervision, so induction and refresher training are legal duties rather than optional good practice.

Enforcement is by the Labour Department's Occupational Safety and Health Branch, using improvement notices, suspension notices and prosecution; penalties escalate for repeat and serious breaches.

A quay crane rail gauge is fixed by the crane design, commonly 30.48 m (100 ft) for ship-to-shore cranes, and defines the apron working envelope that must be kept clear of stored cargo.

Yard blocks are laid out in bays (along the block), rows (across it) and tiers (stack height); a slot is identified by block, bay, row and tier, e.g. B04-12-05-3.

Standard ISO containers are 20 ft (6.06 m) or 40 ft (12.19 m) long, 8 ft (2.44 m) wide, and 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) or 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) high for high-cube units.

Ground slots are marked with painted lines and block numbers; a 40 ft container occupies two 20 ft ground slots, so yard planning software must reserve both positions.

Reefer racks are sited where the power supply, maintenance access and ventilation are available; they are never stacked higher than the rack frame or the reefer stacking limit permits.

Empty container stacks are typically higher than laden stacks because the load per container is lower, but the stack height must still respect wind loading and the equipment's rated capacity.

Terminal roads are one-way where possible, with separate gate lanes for inbound and outbound trucks, and a designated interchange zone where prime movers hand off to yard equipment.

Danger zones around rail-mounted gantry crane legs, crane travel paths and stacking faces must be marked on the ground and fenced or coned off during operations.

Pedestrian segregation relies on physical barriers, not paint alone; walkways must be separated from vehicle routes by fencing, kerbs or guardrails at every point where a person could step into a traffic lane.

Right-of-way rules at a terminal are set locally; the general hierarchy places pedestrians in designated walkways above all vehicles, but a pedestrian outside a walkway has no automatic priority over a moving prime mover.

Vehicle speed limits in yards are typically 15-20 km/h and lower (often 5-10 km/h) in interchange, gate and crane-backreach zones; limits must be posted and enforced.

A prime mover driver must not reverse without a banksman or a functioning reversing alarm and camera; blind spots behind a 40 ft trailer extend several metres beyond the trailer end.

Crane backreach and boom-down zones are no-go areas for pedestrians during ship operations; the crane's travel and trolley envelope defines the exclusion area.

Crossing points should be marked, well lit, and placed where drivers have clear sight lines; crossing behind a reversing vehicle or between stacked containers is prohibited.

Traffic management plans must be reviewed whenever yard layout, stacking height or equipment routes change, and the revised plan communicated to all drivers and pedestrians.

High-visibility clothing is the minimum for anyone on the apron or in the yard; at night, retroreflective class should be appropriate to the lighting level and vehicle speeds.

Ship-to-shore (quay) cranes, rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes and rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes all have rated loads that reduce as the trolley or boom extends; the load chart must be consulted for the actual radius and configuration.

A reach stacker's capacity falls steeply with boom extension and lift height; the load moment indicator or rated capacity chart gives the maximum load at each combination, and the interlock must not be bypassed.

Forklift stability is governed by the load centre distance; capacity is rated at a stated load centre (commonly 600 mm), and lifting a load whose centre is further out reduces safe capacity proportionally.

Prime movers used in terminals are purpose-built tractor units with a gooseneck or fixed fifth wheel; the trailer must be coupled, the kingpin locked and a tug test performed before moving.

Pre-use checks on all lifting equipment cover tyres, brakes, steering, horns, alarms, lights, hydraulic hoses, wire ropes, spreader twistlocks and safety interlocks; defects are logged and the machine tagged out.

Gantry crane rail clamps, anti-collision systems, anemometers and storm anchors are safety devices; disabling them or operating above the wind speed set point is prohibited.

Equipment must only be operated by trained, certificated operators for that specific machine type; a forklift ticket does not authorise operation of a reach stacker or gantry crane.

Refuelling, battery charging and maintenance areas are designated zones with firefighting equipment, spill containment and no smoking; hot work there requires a permit.

A spreader engages a container by four twistlocks turning into the corner castings; the twistlock indicator lights and the mechanical interlock must confirm all four are fully engaged and locked before the hoist is raised.

The safe working load of a sling assembly is the lowest rated capacity in the assembly, and the assembly's rating falls with the sling angle: a two-leg sling at 60 degrees from horizontal carries about 0.866 of the vertical-rated capacity per leg.

Sling angle effect: load per leg = (total load / number of legs) / sin(angle to horizontal); at 30 degrees to horizontal each leg carries the full vertical share multiplied by 2.

Synthetic webbing slings must be inspected for cuts, burns, chemical damage and label loss before each use; wire rope slings are rejected for broken wires, kinks, bird-caging or corrosion beyond the discard criteria.

The centre of gravity of a laden container is rarely at its geometric centre; off-centre cargo causes tilt, and the spreader must be levelled and the load lifted slowly to check for list before hoisting to height.

A container must not be lifted by its corner castings with chains or hooks unless the fitting is designed for it; the spreader or a certified below-the-hook device is the correct attachment.

Tag lines are used to control rotation and swing but must never be wrapped around hands or used to arrest a moving load; personnel stay outside the fall zone and never under a suspended load.

The load must be raised clear, the crane stopped, and the load checked for stability before travelling; travelling with a suspended load over people or occupied areas is prohibited.

Stack height is limited by the container's own stacking strength, the ground bearing capacity, the wind loading and the terminal's stacking plan; the lowest of these governs.

Containers are stacked corner casting on corner casting; stacking on the side walls or on the door end only causes structural failure and is prohibited.

Twistlocks or stacking cones must be fitted between tiers in exposed or windy locations and where the stack plan requires them; unsecured top containers can be blown off in a typhoon.

Heavy containers go at the bottom of a stack and lighter ones on top; a stack must not be built with a heavier container over a lighter one unless the stack plan and strength calculation permit it.

Containers must be stored with doors accessible where inspection or devanning is required, and damaged containers are segregated and tagged rather than stacked.

Typhoon and strong-wind procedures require lowering stack heights, securing with twistlocks and lashing, and clearing the apron; the terminal's typhoon plan sets the wind speed triggers.

Ground conditions matter: soft ground, drains, service trenches and buried services can fail under a stack, so ground bearing capacity must be confirmed before siting a block.

A container that is leaning, has a bulging wall, a damaged corner casting or a distorted door end is not safe to stack; it is quarantined and assessed by a competent person.

Lashing of containers on a ship or in a stack is working at height and requires a fall protection system: guardrails, a harness with a lanyard anchored to a certified point, or a purpose-built lashing platform.

A full-body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard must be anchored above the worker where practicable; a lanyard anchored at foot level increases fall distance and impact force.

Lashing rods, turnbuckles and twistlocks are handled from a stable platform; standing on a container top edge, on the spreader or on a crane beam is prohibited.

Access to container tops is by certified ladders, stairs or elevated work platforms; climbing the container corner castings or using the crane's structure as a ladder is prohibited.

Lanyards and harnesses are inspected before each use for cuts, fraying, corrosion, deformed connectors and legible labels; damaged equipment is withdrawn from service.

A rescue plan for a fallen worker suspended in a harness must exist before work starts, because suspension trauma can become life-threatening within minutes.

Weather limits apply: lashing and work at height stop when wind speed, lightning risk or visibility exceeds the terminal's stated thresholds.

Tools and fittings used at height are carried in tool bags or tethered; dropped objects are a primary struck-by hazard for people working below.

Minimum terminal PPE is a safety helmet with chin strap, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear with toe and penetration protection, and eye protection where the task requires it.

Hearing protection is required where noise exceeds 85 dB(A) as a daily exposure; the terminal's noise assessment identifies the zones and the required attenuation.

Respiratory protection is needed for dust and fume tasks such as fumigation, welding and paint work; the correct filter and fit test are task-specific.

PPE is the last line of defence: it supplements engineering and administrative controls and cannot substitute for guarding, segregation or a safe system of work.

Site induction must cover terminal layout, traffic rules, emergency alarms and muster points, PPE rules, permit-to-work systems, reporting procedures and the site's specific hazards.

Visitors and contractors require an escort or a task-specific induction; a visitor badge does not authorise unescorted entry to operational areas.

PPE must be maintained and replaced when damaged; a cracked helmet or worn high-visibility vest no longer provides the rated protection.

Induction records must be kept and refresher training scheduled; an expired induction means the person is not authorised to work on the terminal.

Risk rating is commonly likelihood x severity on a 5x5 matrix, giving a score from 1 to 25; the score determines whether the risk is acceptable, tolerable with controls, or unacceptable.

The hierarchy of control is: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE; controls higher in the hierarchy are more reliable.

A risk assessment must identify the task, the hazards, who is affected, the existing controls, the residual risk and the responsible person and review date.

Common terminal hazards include struck-by from moving equipment, falls from height during lashing, crush injuries between containers, dropped objects, noise, dust and manual handling strain.

A permit-to-work is required for hot work, confined space entry, work on or near live equipment, and any task where energy isolation is needed; the permit defines the isolation and the sign-off.

Lockout/tagout isolates stored energy (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, gravity) before maintenance; the person working on the equipment holds the key or tag.

A safe working procedure must be written for the task, communicated to the crew, and revised after an incident, a near miss or a change in equipment or layout.

Dynamic risk assessment is required when conditions change on shift, such as deteriorating weather, a change in stacking plan or an unplanned equipment breakdown.

Emergency response starts with raising the alarm, stopping work in the area, and calling the terminal control room with location, nature of the incident and number of casualties.

Muster points must be marked, known to all personnel and clear of vehicle routes and crane travel paths; headcount is taken at the muster point against the shift roster.

First aiders and first aid stations are located per the terminal's emergency plan; the nearest AED and trauma kit locations are posted at the induction.

Container fires, fuel fires and electrical fires require different extinguishing media; water is not used on live electrical equipment, and foam or dry powder is used for fuel.

An incident is reported to the supervisor immediately and recorded on the terminal's incident report form; the scene is preserved and equipment isolated pending investigation.

Notifiable incidents, including fatalities, serious injuries and dangerous occurrences, must be reported to the Labour Department; the employer must also notify within the statutory time limit.

Investigation aims to find root causes, not to allocate blame; findings feed back into risk assessments, procedures and training.

Near misses are reported and investigated with the same seriousness as injuries, because they reveal the failure path before harm occurs.

Manual handling risk factors are load weight, awkward posture, repetition, duration, grip quality and the distance of the load from the body; the risk rises as any factor increases.

The guideline for a two-handed lift close to the body is around 25 kg for a fit adult male and around 16 kg for a fit adult female; these are guidelines, not legal limits.

Lifting technique: keep the load close, bend the knees, keep the back straight, avoid twisting while loaded, and turn with the feet rather than the trunk.

Team lifting is used where the load exceeds one person's safe capacity; the lift is coordinated by a nominated leader with a clear count.

Mechanical aids such as pallet trucks, trolleys, vacuum lifters and hoists should be used where available; manual handling is the last resort.

Repetitive tasks such as lashing, twistlock handling and paperwork at the gate carry cumulative strain risk; job rotation and micro-breaks reduce exposure.

A manual handling assessment must be recorded for tasks that cannot be avoided, and controls implemented before the task starts.

Early reporting of back, shoulder and wrist pain allows early intervention; persistent symptoms are referred for occupational health assessment.

A quay crane rail gauge is fixed by the crane design, commonly 30.48 m (100 ft) for ship-to-shore cranes, and defines the apron working envelope that must be kept clear of stored cargo.

Yard blocks are laid out in bays (along the block), rows (across it) and tiers (stack height); a slot is identified by block, bay, row and tier, e.g. B04-12-05-3.

Standard ISO containers are 20 ft (6.06 m) or 40 ft (12.19 m) long, 8 ft (2.44 m) wide, and 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) or 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) high for high-cube units.

Ground slots are marked with painted lines and block numbers; a 40 ft container occupies two 20 ft ground slots, so yard planning software must reserve both positions.

Reefer racks are sited where the power supply, maintenance access and ventilation are available; they are never stacked higher than the rack frame or the reefer stacking limit permits.

Empty container stacks are typically higher than laden stacks because the load per container is lower, but the stack height must still respect wind loading and the equipment's rated capacity.

Terminal roads are one-way where possible, with separate gate lanes for inbound and outbound trucks, and a designated interchange zone where prime movers hand off to yard equipment.

Danger zones around rail-mounted gantry crane legs, crane travel paths and stacking faces must be marked on the ground and fenced or coned off during operations.

Pedestrian segregation relies on physical barriers, not paint alone; walkways must be separated from vehicle routes by fencing, kerbs or guardrails at every point where a person could step into a traffic lane.

Right-of-way rules at a terminal are set locally; the general hierarchy places pedestrians in designated walkways above all vehicles, but a pedestrian outside a walkway has no automatic priority over a moving prime mover.

Vehicle speed limits in yards are typically 15-20 km/h and lower (often 5-10 km/h) in interchange, gate and crane-backreach zones; limits must be posted and enforced.

A prime mover driver must not reverse without a banksman or a functioning reversing alarm and camera; blind spots behind a 40 ft trailer extend several metres beyond the trailer end.

Crane backreach and boom-down zones are no-go areas for pedestrians during ship operations; the crane's travel and trolley envelope defines the exclusion area.

Crossing points should be marked, well lit, and placed where drivers have clear sight lines; crossing behind a reversing vehicle or between stacked containers is prohibited.

Traffic management plans must be reviewed whenever yard layout, stacking height or equipment routes change, and the revised plan communicated to all drivers and pedestrians.

High-visibility clothing is the minimum for anyone on the apron or in the yard; at night, retroreflective class should be appropriate to the lighting level and vehicle speeds.

Ship-to-shore (quay) cranes, rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes and rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes all have rated loads that reduce as the trolley or boom extends; the load chart must be consulted for the actual radius and configuration.

A reach stacker's capacity falls steeply with boom extension and lift height; the load moment indicator or rated capacity chart gives the maximum load at each combination, and the interlock must not be bypassed.

Forklift stability is governed by the load centre distance; capacity is rated at a stated load centre (commonly 600 mm), and lifting a load whose centre is further out reduces safe capacity proportionally.

Prime movers used in terminals are purpose-built tractor units with a gooseneck or fixed fifth wheel; the trailer must be coupled, the kingpin locked and a tug test performed before moving.

Pre-use checks on all lifting equipment cover tyres, brakes, steering, horns, alarms, lights, hydraulic hoses, wire ropes, spreader twistlocks and safety interlocks; defects are logged and the machine tagged out.

Gantry crane rail clamps, anti-collision systems, anemometers and storm anchors are safety devices; disabling them or operating above the wind speed set point is prohibited.

Equipment must only be operated by trained, certificated operators for that specific machine type; a forklift ticket does not authorise operation of a reach stacker or gantry crane.

Refuelling, battery charging and maintenance areas are designated zones with firefighting equipment, spill containment and no smoking; hot work there requires a permit.

A spreader engages a container by four twistlocks turning into the corner castings; the twistlock indicator lights and the mechanical interlock must confirm all four are fully engaged and locked before the hoist is raised.

The safe working load of a sling assembly is the lowest rated capacity in the assembly, and the assembly's rating falls with the sling angle: a two-leg sling at 60 degrees from horizontal carries about 0.866 of the vertical-rated capacity per leg.

Sling angle effect: load per leg = (total load / number of legs) / sin(angle to horizontal); at 30 degrees to horizontal each leg carries the full vertical share multiplied by 2.

Synthetic webbing slings must be inspected for cuts, burns, chemical damage and label loss before each use; wire rope slings are rejected for broken wires, kinks, bird-caging or corrosion beyond the discard criteria.

The centre of gravity of a laden container is rarely at its geometric centre; off-centre cargo causes tilt, and the spreader must be levelled and the load lifted slowly to check for list before hoisting to height.

A container must not be lifted by its corner castings with chains or hooks unless the fitting is designed for it; the spreader or a certified below-the-hook device is the correct attachment.

Tag lines are used to control rotation and swing but must never be wrapped around hands or used to arrest a moving load; personnel stay outside the fall zone and never under a suspended load.

The load must be raised clear, the crane stopped, and the load checked for stability before travelling; travelling with a suspended load over people or occupied areas is prohibited.

Stack height is limited by the container's own stacking strength, the ground bearing capacity, the wind loading and the terminal's stacking plan; the lowest of these governs.

Containers are stacked corner casting on corner casting; stacking on the side walls or on the door end only causes structural failure and is prohibited.

Twistlocks or stacking cones must be fitted between tiers in exposed or windy locations and where the stack plan requires them; unsecured top containers can be blown off in a typhoon.

Heavy containers go at the bottom of a stack and lighter ones on top; a stack must not be built with a heavier container over a lighter one unless the stack plan and strength calculation permit it.

Containers must be stored with doors accessible where inspection or devanning is required, and damaged containers are segregated and tagged rather than stacked.

Typhoon and strong-wind procedures require lowering stack heights, securing with twistlocks and lashing, and clearing the apron; the terminal's typhoon plan sets the wind speed triggers.

Ground conditions matter: soft ground, drains, service trenches and buried services can fail under a stack, so ground bearing capacity must be confirmed before siting a block.

A container that is leaning, has a bulging wall, a damaged corner casting or a distorted door end is not safe to stack; it is quarantined and assessed by a competent person.

Lashing of containers on a ship or in a stack is working at height and requires a fall protection system: guardrails, a harness with a lanyard anchored to a certified point, or a purpose-built lashing platform.

A full-body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard must be anchored above the worker where practicable; a lanyard anchored at foot level increases fall distance and impact force.

Lashing rods, turnbuckles and twistlocks are handled from a stable platform; standing on a container top edge, on the spreader or on a crane beam is prohibited.

Access to container tops is by certified ladders, stairs or elevated work platforms; climbing the container corner castings or using the crane's structure as a ladder is prohibited.

Lanyards and harnesses are inspected before each use for cuts, fraying, corrosion, deformed connectors and legible labels; damaged equipment is withdrawn from service.

A rescue plan for a fallen worker suspended in a harness must exist before work starts, because suspension trauma can become life-threatening within minutes.

Weather limits apply: lashing and work at height stop when wind speed, lightning risk or visibility exceeds the terminal's stated thresholds.

Tools and fittings used at height are carried in tool bags or tethered; dropped objects are a primary struck-by hazard for people working below.

Minimum terminal PPE is a safety helmet with chin strap, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear with toe and penetration protection, and eye protection where the task requires it.

Hearing protection is required where noise exceeds 85 dB(A) as a daily exposure; the terminal's noise assessment identifies the zones and the required attenuation.

Respiratory protection is needed for dust and fume tasks such as fumigation, welding and paint work; the correct filter and fit test are task-specific.

PPE is the last line of defence: it supplements engineering and administrative controls and cannot substitute for guarding, segregation or a safe system of work.

Site induction must cover terminal layout, traffic rules, emergency alarms and muster points, PPE rules, permit-to-work systems, reporting procedures and the site's specific hazards.

Visitors and contractors require an escort or a task-specific induction; a visitor badge does not authorise unescorted entry to operational areas.

PPE must be maintained and replaced when damaged; a cracked helmet or worn high-visibility vest no longer provides the rated protection.

Induction records must be kept and refresher training scheduled; an expired induction means the person is not authorised to work on the terminal.

Risk rating is commonly likelihood x severity on a 5x5 matrix, giving a score from 1 to 25; the score determines whether the risk is acceptable, tolerable with controls, or unacceptable.

The hierarchy of control is: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE; controls higher in the hierarchy are more reliable.

A risk assessment must identify the task, the hazards, who is affected, the existing controls, the residual risk and the responsible person and review date.

Common terminal hazards include struck-by from moving equipment, falls from height during lashing, crush injuries between containers, dropped objects, noise, dust and manual handling strain.

A permit-to-work is required for hot work, confined space entry, work on or near live equipment, and any task where energy isolation is needed; the permit defines the isolation and the sign-off.

Lockout/tagout isolates stored energy (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, gravity) before maintenance; the person working on the equipment holds the key or tag.

A safe working procedure must be written for the task, communicated to the crew, and revised after an incident, a near miss or a change in equipment or layout.

Dynamic risk assessment is required when conditions change on shift, such as deteriorating weather, a change in stacking plan or an unplanned equipment breakdown.

Emergency response starts with raising the alarm, stopping work in the area, and calling the terminal control room with location, nature of the incident and number of casualties.

Muster points must be marked, known to all personnel and clear of vehicle routes and crane travel paths; headcount is taken at the muster point against the shift roster.

First aiders and first aid stations are located per the terminal's emergency plan; the nearest AED and trauma kit locations are posted at the induction.

Container fires, fuel fires and electrical fires require different extinguishing media; water is not used on live electrical equipment, and foam or dry powder is used for fuel.

An incident is reported to the supervisor immediately and recorded on the terminal's incident report form; the scene is preserved and equipment isolated pending investigation.

Notifiable incidents, including fatalities, serious injuries and dangerous occurrences, must be reported to the Labour Department; the employer must also notify within the statutory time limit.

Investigation aims to find root causes, not to allocate blame; findings feed back into risk assessments, procedures and training.

Near misses are reported and investigated with the same seriousness as injuries, because they reveal the failure path before harm occurs.

Manual handling risk factors are load weight, awkward posture, repetition, duration, grip quality and the distance of the load from the body; the risk rises as any factor increases.

The guideline for a two-handed lift close to the body is around 25 kg for a fit adult male and around 16 kg for a fit adult female; these are guidelines, not legal limits.

Lifting technique: keep the load close, bend the knees, keep the back straight, avoid twisting while loaded, and turn with the feet rather than the trunk.

Team lifting is used where the load exceeds one person's safe capacity; the lift is coordinated by a nominated leader with a clear count.

Mechanical aids such as pallet trucks, trolleys, vacuum lifters and hoists should be used where available; manual handling is the last resort.

Repetitive tasks such as lashing, twistlock handling and paperwork at the gate carry cumulative strain risk; job rotation and micro-breaks reduce exposure.

A manual handling assessment must be recorded for tasks that cannot be avoided, and controls implemented before the task starts.

Early reporting of back, shoulder and wrist pain allows early intervention; persistent symptoms are referred for occupational health assessment.