Associated British Ports (ABP) won the Safety Excellence Award at the Rail Freight Group Awards Dinner on September 10 for an innovative steel slab handling project at the Port of Newport, delivered in collaboration with Tata Steel and DB Cargo UK. The initiative successfully replaces traditional chain-based lifting methods, which previously required operatives to manually handle 20 to 30-tonne slabs near active rail and heavy plant operations, with custom-designed magnetic lifting technology on cranes and forklift trucks.
By introducing magnetic lifting systems and visual alignment aids on rail wagons, the project eliminates manual intervention, removes workers from high-risk operational areas, and enables more consistent slab positioning to reduce rehandling. Following rigorous factory testing, on-site commissioning, live trials, and operator training, the new engineering solution has been fully integrated into routine port operations.
Beyond significantly enhancing workplace safety for personnel, the operational changes deliver key environmental benefits by increasing payloads, which reduces the number of trains required, lowers traction energy use, and cuts associated carbon emissions.