Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Balkan and Near Eastern Journal of Social Sciences, cilt.11, sa.2, ss.22-38, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
The capacity for the global transportation of dangerous goods by sea is increasing, primarily driven by economic considerations, but also by factors relating to safety and the high carrying capacity of such vessels. A notable shift in the transportation of dangerous cargo by sea is evident, with container transport emerging as the predominant mode due to its seamless integration with multimodal logistics networks, cost efficiency through reuse, protection against external factors, and mitigation of damage risk. Container transport is regarded as the optimal solution for door-to-door logistics in the supply chain, offering seamless integration with road, rail, and select airlines, with the exception of maritime transport. In the context of transporting dangerous goods, door-to-door transport is particularly favoured due to its ability to effectively control and limit potential hazards associated with the general cargo structure. It is important to note, however, that international regulations pertaining to the transport of dangerous goods are subject to constant change and development, a consequence of the increasing prevalence of such cargoes in maritime transport. Dangerous goods delivered to ports by road or rail under special security measures are subject to the maximum number of container movements with handling operations in special areas under the control of existing legislation. Dangerous cargo containers entering ports are handled in designated areas and subsequently depart by road or rail under stringent security measures. The present study aims to examine the handling operations and priorities of dangerous cargo containers as assigned to container terminals operating within Turkey. It is observed that, among all container operations, handling operations exhibit the highest number of movements in comparison to other operations. Consequently, during these movements, dangerous cargo containers are exposed to a greater number of risks than other operations. These risks encompass a range of potential hazards, including damage to the containers themselves, accidents due to falling, tipping, damage by handling equipment, and improper loading or discharge of containers. The study examined the literature on international regulations and the handling operation priorities to be implemented in ports. The determined handling operation priorities were determined within the scope of safety management and were recorded with the assistance of questionnaires applied to the terminals. The data obtained from the terminals was then analysed by means of the AHP method, and the priorities were determined according to the order of priority. The findings of this study demonstrate that the handling operations priorities of ports are implemented in a variety of ways and that these priorities vary in accordance with the security management of the handling operations.