In brief
At port and logistics sites in Gemlik, risks concentrate on lifting equipment, the mix of vehicles and pedestrians, and wind. Nobody goes under a container or in front of its doors, reach stackers are used according to the load chart, and lifting equipment and forklifts are inspected by an authorised person at least once a year. A stop limit for wind is written down in advance for each piece of equipment, and work does not restart after a storm until an inspection has been carried out.
Why is port safety in Gemlik planned separately?
Gemlik's industry is not clustered around an OIZ (organised industrial zone) but around the port operators on the shore of the gulf and the Bursa Free Zone. The ports handle containers, Ro-Ro vehicles, steel products such as coiled sheet and pipe, project cargo and bulk cargo. Port safety is therefore organised differently from a warehouse inside a factory: on the same quay, heavy lifting equipment, lorries belonging to outside firms, container lashing teams and pedestrians all move together. The site is open; wind, rain and night work are a normal part of the job.
The framework is set by the general legislation. Law No. 6331 Art. 10 requires a risk assessment, and Art. 23 requires employers sharing the same work area to work in cooperation and coordination and to inform each other of risks. Because employees of the port operator, transport and surveying firms and maintenance contractors work side by side on the quay, this coordination needs to be in writing. For equipment, the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment applies. This article focuses on four headings on site: container handling, reach stackers, inspection of lifting equipment, vehicle-pedestrian arrangements and wind.
Container handling: underneath, the doors and inside
In container handling, danger concentrates at three points.
- Underneath a suspended container. Nobody goes underneath a container attached to the spreader or into its swing area. Twist locks are fitted and removed only after the container has settled fully on the ground, the stack or the chassis. Lifting does not start until it is confirmed that the locks on the lorry chassis are open; otherwise the container may lift with the chassis.
- The doors. The load inside may have shifted in transit. The doors are opened leaf by leaf and in a controlled way, standing beside them rather than in front. If the load is seen to be leaning when the door opens, unloading is stopped and the load is supported with equipment. We explain how loads should be secured in our article on load securing on lorries and trucks.
- Inside. A container carrying a fumigation warning, or whose contents are unclear, is not entered until its doors have been opened, it has been ventilated and, where necessary, gas measurements have been taken. For containers carrying dangerous goods, labels and documents are checked before unloading; for the adviser obligation on these loads see our article on who needs a dangerous goods safety adviser (TMGD).
For coiled sheet, pipe and project cargo, slings, chains and special attachments come into play instead of containers. Our article on slings and chains guides you on sling selection, angles and label checks.
Reach stackers and empty container handlers
A reach stacker is a lifting machine that uses its telescopic boom and spreader to pick containers from the front rows and stack them on top of each other. Its capacity is not a single number: the load chart reduces the load that can be lifted depending on which row the container is taken from and how far the boom is extended. A full container that can be lifted from the first row may not be liftable from the second or third.
Rules to apply on site:
- Load chart: The operator must be able to read their machine's load chart and know when the overload warning system comes into play. The warning system is never disabled for any reason.
- Travel position: A full container is carried in the lowest possible position while travelling. If the container blocks the forward view, the driving method in the manufacturer's instructions is followed or a banksman is used.
- Ground: Potholes, slopes and loose ground increase the risk of overturning. The stacking yard surface is checked regularly; damaged areas are marked and not used until repaired.
- Empty container stacking: For empty container handlers, the maximum stacking height is limited by instruction, taking wind conditions into account as well.
For operator certificates and the vocational training obligation, see our articles on the forklift operator certificate and construction machinery operators.
Periodic inspection of port cranes and forklifts
Under Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation (renewed in the Official Gazette of 23.12.2025), lifting equipment is subject to periodic inspection at least once a year. If a standard or the manufacturer's instructions specify a shorter period, that period applies. A load test is carried out once a year; the overload test with a coefficient is applied at most every 3 years.
| Equipment | Main hazard | Periodic inspection | Start-of-shift check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quay crane and mobile harbour crane | Falling loads, overturning, being driven by the wind | At least once a year; load test once a year | Limit switches, rope, brake, anemometer, spreader lock indicators |
| Reach stacker, empty container handler | Overturning, loss of visibility | At least once a year | Overload warning, spreader locks, tyres and brakes |
| Port forklift (heavy tonnage, with attachments) | Overturning, load shifting | At least once a year | Forks and attachments, chains, brakes, capacity plate |
| Slings, chains and lifting attachments | Breaking, lock opening | At least once a year | Label, deformation, locking pin |
The inspection is carried out by an engineer, technical teacher, technician or senior technician registered on EKİPNET (the Ministry's register of authorised inspectors); the contract is set up through ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) at least 1 day before the inspection. A person who maintains a piece of equipment may not carry out its periodic inspection (Regulation Art. 14/A-2). For tower cranes, the inspection is carried out by an accredited inspection body. We explain which part of the report to look at in our article on how to read a periodic inspection report.
The mix of vehicles and pedestrians on the quay
On a port site, the most vulnerable person is the pedestrian: surveying staff doing checks, the officer reading seals, the lorry driver getting out of the cab. The traffic plan method used in warehouses applies here too; for the steps see our article on the forklift-pedestrian traffic plan in warehouses. Rules specific to the quay are:
- Pedestrian exclusion zones: The area under cranes, the spreader's working area and the spaces between container stacks are closed to pedestrian traffic. If entry is unavoidable, vehicle and crane movement in that zone is stopped.
- Designated route: There is a marked pedestrian route between the office, the gate and the vehicle parking area. Visitors and contractor staff enter the quay accompanied.
- Driver rule: During loading, the lorry driver stays in the cab or waits in the safe waiting area shown to them; they do not approach the spreader.
- Visibility: Everyone on site wears high-visibility clothing. For night work, the lighting of routes and stack aisles is checked regularly; for measurements and values see our article on lighting measurement.
- Speed and communication: The on-site speed limit, one-way system and stop rule at junctions are written down. The crane operator, banksman and site supervisor use the same radio channel.
Under Art. 16 of Law 6331, contractor employees learn these rules by the necessary information being given to their employers. In practice this means a short induction briefing at the gate and written site rules being handed out.
Wind: empty containers, stacks and cranes
Annex II, item 3.2.7 of the Work Equipment Regulation requires the use outdoors of equipment designed to lift unguided loads to be stopped when the weather deteriorates to the point of preventing safe use, and measures to be taken in particular to prevent overturning. On an open quay on the shore of the gulf, the practical consequences of this provision are:
- An empty container acts like a sail in the wind. Being light with a large surface, it spins and swings on the spreader. When the wind picks up, the first jobs to be stopped should be empty container handling and high stacking.
- The stop limit is written down in advance. For each crane and stacking machine, the wind limit given by the manufacturer is included in the instructions; the anemometer alarm on the crane is kept in working order.
- Storm locks are used. Rail-mounted quay cranes are secured with the storm locking arrangement specified by the manufacturer when not working.
- Stack heights are reduced. The maximum number of tiers for empty container stacks under a wind warning is set in advance.
- An inspection is carried out after a storm. Art. 7 of the regulation requires equipment to be inspected after natural events. Work does not resume until the crane, rails, locks and stack blocks have been checked.
We explain in detail how to follow weather warnings on site and make decisions using the Beaufort scale in our article on cranes and work at height in strong wind.
For port, bonded warehouse and storage businesses in Gemlik, we prepare site rules, coordination minutes and wind instructions as part of our OHS specialist service, and plan inspections of lifting equipment as part of periodic inspection. For notes specific to the area see our Gemlik OSGB page, for other risks in the sector our logistics and warehousing page, and you can enter inspection dates in the OHS calendar tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is a reach stacker periodically inspected?
Under Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation, lifting equipment and construction machinery are inspected at least once a year. If the manufacturer's instructions or a standard specify a shorter period, that applies. The inspection is carried out by an authorised person registered on EKİPNET; the person who maintains the machine may not inspect it.
Where should the lorry driver stand while a container is being loaded?
The driver either stays in the cab or waits in the safe waiting area shown in the site rules. They do not enter the spreader's working area or go underneath the container. Lifting does not start until it is confirmed that the chassis locks are open.
At what wind speed (km/h) is a port crane stopped?
The legislation does not give a single speed; the limit is in the crane manufacturer's operating manual. Put this value in your instructions, monitor it with the crane's anemometer, and set a lower operating limit for loads with a large surface such as empty containers.
Do the same rules apply to our warehouse in the free zone?
Yes. Operating in a free zone does not change the obligations under Law No. 6331; periodic inspections, training and risk assessment apply in the same way. For details, see our article on OHS in the Bursa Free Zone.
A certified specialist matched to your hazard class: site inspections, approved logbook, training plan, annual plan and report follow-up.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.