| | ENTERPRISE SECURITY8 November - 2021Associated British Ports is the largest port operator in the UK. The 21 ports support 119,000 jobs and contribute £7.5 billion to the economy every year, handling £149 billion of trade. The business is diverse and includes bulk and container operations, vehicles, petrochemical, and cruises.Access and control to Port Facilities in the UK are mandated through the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code. This code was swiftly developed following the 9/11 attacks in New York. The ISPS Code is part of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, known as SOLAS, which has been accepted by nearly every country.In the UK, the port security measures fall under the UK Government Department for Transport who set requirements and regulate. We maintain close links with law enforcement and regularly test our capabilities. The level of security is highly dependent on the port operations being conducted. The lowest level security requirements generally relate to bulk cargo and the highest to passenger (PAX) operations, including international ferries and cruise operations. The cruise industry, in particular, is expanding significantly year-on-year. In 2019, 2 percent of cruise ships around the world carried over 4000 passengers. By 2026 these cruise ships will represent around 42 percent of the cruise market. Some of the largest ships now carry over 6000 passengers, and there are plans for even bigger ships. The Port of Southampton is Europe's leading cruise turn-around port, seeing around 500 calls a year, with 2 million cruise passengers.Every cruise call brings a significant security operation. Cruise ships generally require passengers to disembark and embark within a relatively short period. This results in a requirement to perform security procedures expeditiously to ensure that the ship sails on time. A typical cruise ship will be alongside for only 10 hours. In this period, the ship needs to disembark thousands of passengers plus crew (for large ships) and re-store provisions. The port is required to security screen every passenger and each member of the crew, plus baggage. Unlike the aviation industry, passengers are not restricted to the amount of baggage they bring. Often, each passenger will have several large suitcases and multiple items of hand luggage, all of which need to be screened before being allowed on the ship.Whilst airports operate around the clock, the nature of cruise operations in the UK means this model does not work. Cruise security runs very much in peaks and troughs. Security screening standards vary by port, shipping line, THE CHALLENGES OF PORT SECURITY (CRUISES OPERATIONS)By Andy Billings, (MA, MCGI, MSyI), Group Head of Security, Associated British PortsIN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINION
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