Background: In recent decades, accidents involving hazardous goods at seaports have become a major concern worldwide resulting in international conventions and interventions to minimise the impact of such accidents. Despite the improvements in safety measures and the enhancement of cargo handlers’ knowledge over the years, port accidents involving dangerous substances still continue to occur. Objectives: The study explores the determinants of effective high-risk cargo (HRC) handling at seaports, focusing on Namibian seaports. The study was aimed at establishing the elements of HRC logistics processes and to determine factors influencing the effectiveness of HRC handling procedures followed by the seaports. Method: An integrated research strategy was adopted, backed by the employment of mixed research methods, through seven key informant interviews and a quantitative survey involving 81 port employees. Results: The results of the study confirmed the totality of HRC logistics activities at Namibian seaports. It emerged from the study that there were factors that facilitated and that hindered the effectiveness of HRC logistics activities at Namibian seaports. The study confirmed the association between HRC training and the level of knowledge of risk mitigation and emergency procedures, documentation understanding and regulations adherence. This guided in proposing a new theory for the determinants of HRC logistics in developing economies. Conclusion: The study’s findings provided sufficient evidence to suggest that HRC logistics safety processes at seaports can be improved through the proposed framework. The study’s findings have important repercussions for re-shaping public policy, especially as coastal economies worldwide compete towards becoming preferred logistics hubs.

中文翻译：

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海上港口有效高风险货物物流的决定因素：案例研究

背景：在最近几十年中，涉及海港危险品的事故已成为世界范围内的主要关注问题，因此，国际公约和干预措施将此类事故的影响降至最低。尽管多年来安全措施有所改进，并且货运操作员的知识有所提高，但涉及危险物质的港口事故仍然继续发生。目的：本研究探讨了在纳米比亚海港集中处理海港的有效高风险货物（HRC）的决定因素。该研究旨在确定HRC后勤流程的要素，并确定影响海港后HRC处理程序有效性的因素。方法：采用综合研究策略，并采用混合研究方法，通过七个关键线人访谈和涉及81个港口员工的定量调查。结果：研究结果证实了纳米比亚海港的热轧卷物流活动的总数。从研究中可以看出，有一些因素在纳米比亚港口促进和阻碍了热轧卷物流活动的有效性。这项研究证实了HRC培训与风险缓解和应急程序知识水平，文档理解和法规遵循之间的关联。这指导了为发展中经济体的热轧卷物流决定因素提出新理论的指导。结论：该研究结果提供了充分的证据，表明通过提出的框架可以改善港口的HRC物流安全流程。