Venice, 24 September 2026 – A permanent process of dialogue involving all stakeholders operating within the port system is being launched to strengthen prevention, identify critical issues, share experience and turn operational findings into concrete action. This is the aim of the Permanent Working Group for the Prevention and Improvement of Safety in Port Operations, launched by the Port System Authority of the Northern Adriatic Sea (AdSPMAS).
The initiative is based on the recognition that safety must go hand in hand with the evolution of port operations. At the same time, safety cannot be reduced to mere compliance with regulations: it can and should evolve from a necessary day-to-day safeguard into a factor contributing to the competitiveness of the port system. The Ports of Chioggia and Venice handle different types of traffic and cargo, operate different facilities and rely on operational procedures that are evolving rapidly. Against this backdrop, there is a need for a continuous approach to prevention, the regular updating of procedures, training and adaptation to changing operational conditions. The project is built around three key principles: prevention, dialogue and continuous improvement.
It was agreed that the most effective way to address critical issues is not simply to identify what is not working, but to create opportunities for dialogue in which experience, challenges, solutions and best practices can be shared. The working method adopted will start from data and evidence – including inspections, reports and potential risk situations – and move towards the identification of critical issues and priorities through dialogue with terminal operators and the various stakeholders involved. This will be followed by the identification of concrete actions and implementation timelines, and ultimately by monitoring their effectiveness.
By October 2026, meetings will be held with individual port companies, involving their health and safety managers (RSPPs) and operational managers, to analyse the findings of inspections carried out in 2025 and 2026, define the commitments to be undertaken by each terminal operator by the end of the year, and establish timelines and procedures for addressing any issues identified. Targeted inspections and follow-up meetings to review progress on the commitments undertaken will follow. The process will conclude with an end-of-year meeting scheduled for December 2026, during which the results of the dialogue will be shared, proposals for improvement collected, activities for the following year planned, and best practices identified for further development and dissemination across the port system.
The areas of focus for the analysis and inspections will include the specific characteristics of certain types of cargo; airborne dust and the height of cargo piles; the demarcation of operational areas; the condition of quays and yards; operational vehicles and the use of personal protective equipment; training; lifting equipment and accessories; as well as any issues that may emerge during joint inspections or emergency response exercises.
In addition to companies and their health and safety and operational teams, the initiative may also involve the Prefecture, the Fire and Rescue Service, SPISAL, the Metropolitan Area Labour Inspectorate and the Harbour Master’s Office, as well as other authorities, in joint inspections and emergency response exercises.
“In the port environment, we may have different interests, responsibilities and roles, but there is one objective on which there can be no disagreement: ensuring that every person who comes to work in our ports can carry out their duties in the best possible conditions and return home safely at the end of the day,” said Matteo Gasparato, President of the Port System Authority of the Northern Adriatic Sea.
“The Working Group we are launching today is based precisely on this principle. We are not here to rank companies according to who is more or less virtuous. Our aim is to foster a safety culture that becomes part of everyday decisions, behaviour, work organisation and relationships between people – a culture in which everyone feels responsible not only for their own safety, but also for the safety of the colleagues working alongside them. This can only be achieved through the contribution of companies, trade unions, workers and the Port System Authority.”