Launching of PEMSEA's PSHEM Code and Recognition System

 

Yeosu, RO Korea — PEMSEA's Port Safety, Health and Environmental Management (PSHEM) Code and Recognition System was launched on 13 July 2012 in the GEF/PEMSEA Pavilion at the Yeosu International Exposition, RO Korea. Prof. Raphael Lotilla, Executive Director of PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), welcomed the Ministers and East Asian Seas Congress participants to the launch. Mr. Eui-Seon Hwang, Deputy Director for Overseas Management of the Organizing Committee for EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea gave a message that highlighted the importance of establishing an international management system to regulate activities and operations in ports and the role of the Organizing Committee for Yeosu EXPO and KOICA through the Yeosu Project in supporting PEMSEA's initiative.

 

Mr. Stephen Adrian Ross, Chief Technical Officer of PRF, gave a brief background of the PSHEM Code and Recognition System from its development and demonstration over six years to its adoption by the PEMSEA Executive Committee. He explained the objective of the PSHEM Code, which is to provide port authorities and private enterprises operating within the port with a voluntary standard against which to measure the performance of their operations and activities with regard to the aspects of quality, safety, health and the environment. He also listed the six phases of the application of the PSHEM Code from Initial Status Review to the Continual Improvement. He explained that these phases came from reviewing the initial demonstration of the PSHEM Code in the ports of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia and Bangkok and Laem Chabang, Thailand.

 

Mr. Ross indicated that the "Yeosu-PEMSEA Project on PSHEMS" is underway to develop the governance system of the PSHEM Code and Recognition System and put it into full operation. This will encourage Port Authorities and Operators to strive for excellence through continuous improvement of the management systems. The PSHEM Code has been implemented in selected ports of the region in cooperation with the German International Cooperation, assisted by the ASEAN Ports Association.

 

The planned roll-out of the PSHEM Code and Recognition System project anticipates a growth in the complexity of managing the PSHEMS project. As such, it must be ensured that proper authorities are looking not just into the administrative tasks of auditing and recognizing ports but also on the formulation of policies and procedures that would govern the core processes of the PSHEMS program. A governance mechanism will be established to properly manage the activities related to revision/improvement of the PSHEM Code, processes related to recognition, as well as the administration of activities.

 

At the end of the ceremonies, the newly launched PSHEM Code and PSHEMS Development and Implementation Guidelines were distributed by Prof. Lotilla and Mr. Ross to the Ministers and Congress participants.

 

The PSHEMS launching was part of the activities of the East Asian Seas Congress held in Changwon City, RO Korea from 9-13 July 2012.