It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Port Builds on Effort to Strengthen its Safety Culture to Reduce Injuries
The Port of Virginia® is using a layered approach to strengthen safety throughout its operation by identifying the most common critical risks at its terminals and offices, emphasize safety as a core value and creation of an internal safety brand that serves as a continual reminder for everyone on port property.
The effort was recently recognized by Signal Mutual, the insurance carrier for The Port of Virginia, which presented its Executive Leadership Award to Virginia International Terminals Chief Operating Officer Joseph P. “Joe” Ruddy. The award recognizes the effort underway at the port to emphasize safety and reduce the number of injuries, reportable incidents and lost workdays. (Virginia International Terminals, LLC, is the privately-held terminal operating company for The Port of Virginia.)
“This award is not about an individual, but what The Port of Virginia® is doing, as an organization, to get better and create a culture of safety across the entire operation,” Ruddy said. “It is our goal to eliminate injuries, lost workdays and the like, and become the safest port in North America.”
“Safety is a core value here and as a team we are coming together to ensure that we protect what matters, which are the people that work here, our labor partners, our guests and the contractors coming to and from our facilities and offices. At the end of every day, of every shift, people should be going home in the exact same condition in which they showed up.”
Lost workdays is one of the safety metrics used by the industry and during the last four years, the number of lost workdays at The Port of Virginia, as the result of on-the-job industry, is decreasing. (Lost workdays are measured in the total number of days an employee could not work against every 200,000 hours worked.)
The Port of Virginia, lost workdays by fiscal year, July 1 – June 30:
2022 = 1.82 days
2023 = 1.83 days
2024 = 1.37 days
2025 = 1.04 days
2026 = 1.09 days (as of Feb. 2026)
2026 goal = 0.91
OSHA industry average = 1.4 days
“We are trending in the right direction, in terms of lost workdays, and have been for the last four years, but the goal is zero,” said Sarah J. McCoy, the interim CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.
Last fall, port leadership announced an organization-wide initiative to ingrain safety even more into the port’s culture. Since then, the port has created a safety brand, We Protect What Matters, and has collaborated with local ILA leadership (International Longshoremen’s Association) and port team members from across the organization to better understand where the highest risks are and how best to mitigate them.
The safety effort includes:
Creation of critical risks and life-saving rules
Recognition for those going above-and-beyond standard safety practices
Identifying and marking potential hazards
Safety audits
Safety briefings for guests
Annual safety training (CPR, first-aid, etc.)
We Protect What Matters messaging campaign
“We had a lot of conversations, grounded in real experience that led to the identification of our Seven Critical Risks and Six Life-Saving Rules,” McCoy, said. “These risks and rules are not about adding complexity or checking a box. They are about clarity, using common language to recognize risk, communicating more effectively and focusing our attention on the situations where the potential for serious harm is greatest.”
“This organizational effort reflects our shared commitment to care, consistency, and accountability. Care for one another, consistency in how we approach safety and accountability to make sure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.”
Signal’s Executive Leadership Award is an annual award given to an executive who advances employee safety and health through a strong safety culture and a sustainable safety management system.
“The recipient sets high safety standards grounded in personal values, demonstrates a sustained commitment to preventing workplace injuries and illnesses, leads safety efforts in a visible, hands-on manner, and develops effective safety initiatives that are implemented across the organization,” said an award description from Signal.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
Associated British Ports Invests in Young People
Pictured L to R Max Burnett (ABP), Lucy Ottewell-Key (Horizon), Andrew Dawes (ABP), and Fiona Wright (Horizon)
Associated British Ports (ABP) is delighted to become a founder patron of the Horizon Youth Zone in Grimsby to help support the charity in providing a safe, inspiring place for young people.
As Founder Patrons, ABP will join a growing family of businesses, organisations and philanthropists contributing to the charity’s annual running costs. This enables Horizon to keep offering state-of-the-art facilities, new opportunities, and first-class youth work to thousands of young people in North East Lincolnshire.
Andrew Dawes, Regional Director for ABP in the Humber said: "We’re absolutely delighted to be a Founder Patron of Horizon Onside Youth Zone.
It’s a privilege to support a project that will create opportunities, raise aspirations, and make a lasting difference for young people across North East Lincolnshire. We very much look forward to work alongside them in showcasing opportunities across our port and maritime sector in the Humber."
Horizon CEO, Lucy Ottewell Key said: “We are grateful for the generous support of Associated British Ports. Their belief in Horizon Youth Zone is a powerful message to the young people of North East Lincolnshire that their futures matter. Thanks to this support, more young people will have a safe place to grow, connect, discover their strengths, and build the confidence they need to thrive.”
Since Horizon’s grand opening last weekend, young members are now able to access an indoor climbing wall, four court sports hall, training kitchen, music room with a recording studio, fully equipped gym, sensory room, dance and drama studio, 3G kick pitch, arts and crafts room, and enterprise and employability suite. In addition to these incredible facilities, trained youth workers and dedicated volunteers are available seven days a week to offer guidance and holistic support to help the area’s young people to thrive. The Youth Zone is creating permanent full and part-time jobs, as well as numerous volunteering opportunities.
Horizon Youth Zone is an independent charity with a private sector-led board and part of the OnSide Network of 18 Youth Zones nationwide, supporting more than 55,000 young people annually. Youth Zones are open to young people aged between eight and 19 (up to 25 for those with additional needs), seven days a week, for just £5 membership per year and 50p a visit.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
APM Terminals Expands in Middle East with Jeddah Terminal Investment
APM made a strategic investment in Saudi Arabia's key port and its first on the Red Sea (APM)
Maersk’s terminal operator, APM Terminals, is positioning itself to benefit from the growing status of Jeddah Islamic Port as it announced the acquisition of a stake in a terminal operated by DP World. It represents APM’s first Red Sea presence and further expands its Middle East presence.
As part of measures to deepen its presence in Saudi Arabia, APM Terminals entered into an agreement with DP World to acquire a 37.5 percent stake in the Southern Container Terminal (SCT) at Jeddah Islamic Port. The two companies did not disclose the value of the investment.
APM Terminals is making the strategic investment owing to Jeddah’s role as a vital gateway not only to the local market but also to global networks. DP World, which secured a 30-year build-operate-transfer concession to operate the terminal in 2019, will retain a 62.5 percent majority shareholding and continue to lead the operations at the facility.
Critically, APM Terminals is acquiring a stake in the facility exactly a year after DP World completed a massive $800 million modernization and expansion of SCT. In March last year, DP World completed a three-year project that transformed the terminal into one of the region’s most advanced and sustainable container facilities, the hallmark of which was doubling its capacity from 1.8 million TEU to 4 million TEUs. The expansion also paved the way for a future capacity of 5 million TEU, with additional ship-to-shore equipment to be deployed as demand grows.
The project also involved expanding the terminal’s capacity for refrigerated containers (reefers) from 1,200 to 2,340, something that now ensures optimal conditions for temperature-sensitive shipments. Spanning a total quay length of 2,150 meters, including a deep-water quay with an 18-metre depth, SCT is today capable of accommodating up to five ultra-large container vessels simultaneously.
Mid-this year, DP World expects to complete the construction of the 415,000-square-meter Jeddah Logistics Park that is being touted as the largest integrated facility of its kind in the Kingdom and which is adjacent to SCT. Maersk is also pumping investments into the park that is expected to offer state-of-the-art warehousing, distribution and freight forwarding services, further strengthening Jeddah’s position as a key hub connecting trade routes across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
“Jeddah Islamic port is one of the region's most important trade corridors. This investment secures long-term access to quality infrastructure and strengthens our ability to support customers with reliable, scalable capacity in the Kingdom,” said Keith Svendsen, APM Terminals CEO.
Jeddah Islamic port is located along busy global shipping lines connecting three continents making it the Red Sea's top port for transit trade and transshipment of container and cargo. With four terminals and 62 berths, the port has been witnessing growth in the number of ships calling at the port. Last year, about 4,000 vessels docked at the port.
“Since securing the concession in 2019, we have transformed the Southern Container Terminal into a modern, high-capacity gateway, further strengthening Jeddah’s position as a leading Red Sea hub in support of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” said Yuvraj Narayan, DP World Group CEO.
He added the partnership with APM Terminals reflects the confidence global industry leaders place in the port operator’s capabilities.
Port of Los Angeles Expects Continued Weakness After January Decline
The Port of Los Angeles expects continued declines in volumes due to higher inventories, uncertainties in trade policies, and last year's frontloading by importers (Port of Los Angeles file photo)
The Port of Los Angeles foresees continued weakness in container volumes for the first quarter of 2026 after a 12 percent decline in January. However, while highlighting that it does not expect increased certainty for U.S. trade policies, it believes the rate of decline is stabilizing and is not expected to “drop off a cliff” as the U.S. moves forward in 2026.
As the largest container port in the Americas, the Port of Los Angeles is viewed as a key measure of U.S. trade, especially with China and Asia. Despite the uncertainties and changes in trade policies in 2025, the port recorded its third busiest year, handling more than 10 million containers. While it represented a marginal decline versus 2024, it marked the 26th year the Port of Los Angeles was the busiest port in the Western Hemisphere.
While saying “January held no surprises,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka told reporters at a media briefing on February 17 that he expects a decline of “less than 10 percent” for volume in the first quarter. After that, he said, “I don’t see the economy or cargo volume dropping off a cliff…. I don’t see a dire situation.”
Seroka notes that in addition to continuing uncertainties in U.S. trade policy, they are facing a headwind after “importers scrambled to get cargo in ahead of the tariffs” in 2025. He believes that impacted January volumes and will continue to have an impact into 2026.
All measures of volume were off during January, with imports down 13 percent while exports were down 8 percent to the lowest levels in nearly three years. Critically, imports were 3 percent below the port’s five-year running average.
Similarly, the indicators are also weak. Seroka pointed to the consumer confidence index, which is at its lowest level in 11 years. He reported in January that empties leaving the port, an indicator of shippers preparing for export cargo, were down 12 percent. He said this reflects softer demand ahead. During the conversation, it was noted that the U.S. is not exporting much to China currently.
Halfway through February, the forecast for the month was that arrivals looked “relatively flat” compared to last year. However, the Lunar New Year holiday began this week and will have an impact going forward. Seroka said the primary impact would be felt in March at the port of Los Angeles.
Seroka also believes that importers are in a “cautious restocking phase.” He notes that inventories are higher at the beginning of the year, meaning they expect it will impact volumes going forward. He also notes that the frontloading that took place in 2025 means they will continue to face challenging year-over-year comparisons as they go forward this year.
Despite a cautious outlook, Seroka noted that order levels appear to be fairly stable, contributing to the outlook of a leveling off for volumes as they move into 2026. He also notes the American consumer has “shown remarkable resilience.”
The Port of Los Angeles’ forecasts follow similar broader outlooks from the National Retail Federation, which expects retail imports to remain at lower levels moving into 2026. The spending frenzy during and after the pandemic has cooled, with analysts noting that consumers remain concerned.
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