Ports are often challenging places to work. You may be dealing with a whole range of cargoes and working alongside a wide variety of people, including some who don't speak English. Work at ports takes place throughout the day and night and in all types of weather. There are often pressures to load or unload a ship's cargo quickly to catch a tide or to free up a wharf. Visiting drivers want to pick up or drop off their cargo as quickly as possible and get back on the road.

These factors make it an exciting but also a potentially high-risk industry to work in. Ever-changing circumstances lead to ever-changing risks. Companies must put appropriate health and safety measures in place to manage these risks properly.