Social media did not take long to jump into action when the 13,900 teu container ship Milano Bridge collided with a crane in the South Korean Port of Busan in April this year. Five months later, video clips from Spain showed when the 23,000 teu container ship MSC Mia collided with a crane in Valencia. In both incidents, the crane operator suffered minimal injuries and was hospitalised. It is easy to find casual claims that incidents such as these, involving ever-larger ships and cranes, are increasing, but is that really the case? TT Club risk management director Peregrine StorrsFox said that statistics on these cases are "a bit difficult to find" despite the club's involvement in covering elements for 46% of the world's ports. The other issue, he said, is the obvious fact that with nothing else on the container quayside other than the crane, that crane is in the front line if an accident involving a ship is going to happen. "And, of course, the crane is the vital asset of the operation of the port or terminal, which can't operate if it doesn't have that bit of kit," he said.
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