The Port of NY & NJ Council on Port Performance’s Top Priority is Safety and the Health of Frontline Workers

The Port of NY & NJ Council on Port Performance’s Top Priority is Safety and the Health of Frontline Workers

The Council on Port Performance (CPP) met on April 9th to discuss the overall conditions at the  Port and the broader supply chain.  It was highlighted that Terminal Operators, in cooperation with the New York Shipping Association and the ILA, commenced non-contact temperature checks this week as an additional measure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Such temperature checks will be conducted multiple times a day.  Port Director Sam Ruda emphasized that while “all stakeholders in the port community remain committed to keeping the regions goods moving and keeping the Port operational, it must be accomplished with a continued focus on health and safety of all frontline employees.”  Social distancing, PPE’s and other protocols continue to be a priority for all stakeholders.

The hard-working and dedicated men and women who serve the Port of New York and New Jersey continue to keep the Port open with cargo moving through all cargo terminals without interruption. Key industry participants noted they expect “blank sailings” to continue through at least the first half of this year.

“Despite the COVID-19 hardships, said John Nardi, President of New York Shipping Association, our frontline workers continue to push forward and enact ever more stringent safety protocols.”  Nardi reported that New York Shipping Association is tracking all labor to monitor quarantines and anyone at risk. Terminal operators have implemented strict procedures for cleaning and sanitizing all equipment and implemented innovative new protocols to limit the person to person contact with truckers. 

New stock of PPE arrived recently, and more PPE inventory is currently on order.

Across the supply chain, from terminal operations to rail, chassis providers, trucking firms, container depot operators as well as ocean carriers, CPP members noted that they are not today experiencing any issues related to a significant build-up or back up of imports, exports or empties. This remains a continued focus for the CPP stakeholders as retail closures and protocols associated with combating COVID-19 impact demand for some containerized cargoes.

John Atkins, President of GCT Container Terminal said, “There is no playbook on this new situation, but with communication throughout the supply chain we will get through this event.”

An example of this unique collaboration is the recent identification of close to 75 warehouse and distribution centers with more than 2 million square feet of available space to support the region’s cargo.  This includes critical warehouse space, outdoor space and capacity for palletized cargo, floor loads as well as temperature-controlled availability.

A warehouse database has been compiled and those seeking a need for additional storage space should contact Amanda Valdes at [email protected] or and Nick Raspanti at [email protected].

Other important Links the Council on Port Performance would like to share with Port Stakeholders include:

NJEDA COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/

NJ Executive Order 107: https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-107.pdf

NJ Executive Order 122 is: https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-122.pdfThe Council will continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis throughout this current crisis to ensure full coordination and collaboration to keep commerce moving through the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Stay well and healthy.

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