Innovative thinking to proactively respond to natural disasters and ensure port safety

On May 28, 2025 in Hanoi, Vietnam National Shipping Lines (VIMC) held a workshop on "Improving port operation safety and proactively responding to natural disasters in the VIMC seaport system" with the participation of Chairman of the Board of Directors Le Anh Son, Deputy General Director Nguyen Ngoc Anh, representatives of VIMC's professional departments, and leaders and officers in charge of safety of member port enterprises across the system - directly in Hanoi and online at bridges nationwide.

Conference overview

In the context of seaport operations increasingly facing complex risks, especially under the unpredictable impact of climate change and increasingly stringent requirements on safety and stability standards in operations, this workshop was organized to strengthen awareness, share experiences and promote substantial changes in safety assurance and disaster prevention work throughout the VIMC system.

Operational practices show that natural disasters no longer occur according to traditional seasonal rules. Extreme events such as Typhoon Yagi in 2024 or localized heavy rains, unseasonal tornadoes, etc. have directly impacted the organizational, operational and recovery capacity of many port enterprises. The workshop affirmed that responding to natural disasters cannot stop at the level of “coping”, but must become part of the overall production - business and risk management plan.

Workers at Tan Vu Port ( Hai Phong ) tie and reinforce cargo containers to prevent storm Yagi.

Notably, safety has not yet been truly placed on par with production and business goals. When it has not become part of the corporate culture, safety is easily overlooked and separated from the operational process. The workshop called for a change in thinking from “safety is the task of one department” to “safety is the responsibility of the whole system”, with active participation from leaders to workers directly at the site.

Chairman Le Anh Son speaks at the conference

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Board of Directors Le Anh Son emphasized that safety is not just a process or slogan, but must be transformed into instinct in every action of workers at the port. According to him, only when each individual in the system voluntarily identifies risks, proactively complies with rules and reacts correctly to all situations - even in emergency conditions or production pressure - will the safety culture truly go into depth and become a sustainable foundation for development. The Chairman also called on member units not to stop at issuing regulations, but to establish a working environment, monitoring mechanism and continuous training so that safe behavior becomes a natural reflex - without reminders or coercion.

Deputy General Director Nguyen Ngoc Anh speaks at the conference

At the workshop, Deputy General Director Nguyen Ngoc Anh and representatives of enterprises discussed and shared many practical experiences and proposed solutions such as enhancing monitoring and warning technology, standardizing operational procedures, training on field response capacity, and investing in specialized equipment systems. Opinions also agreed on the need to build an inter-regional coordination mechanism to ensure quick and effective response in complex natural disaster situations.

With the active, serious participation and high sense of responsibility of the units, the workshop achieved its set goals, contributing to consolidating modern risk management thinking, creating a solid foundation for building a safe - professional - sustainable seaport system, meeting the requirements of integration and development in the new period.

Source: https://vimc.co/doi-moi-tu-duy-de-chu-dong-ung-pho-thien-tai-va-dam-bao-an-toan-cang-bien/