PS1: Social and Environmental Assessment and Management Systems
In accordance with requirements established by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) study of the proposed expansion was carried out by an independent consultant in 2006. The IEE report assessed environmental and social impacts during both construction and operation of the proposed expansion, and proposed mitigation measures to address these, along with an Environmental Management Plant (EMP) to manage and monitor impact mitigation activities.
From an operational perspective, QICT complies with the Safety & Environment Policy of its majority shareholder, DP World, which is committed to “providing a safe workplace and ensuring that all business activities are conducted in a manner that minimizes any adverse environmental impact.” Key pillars of this policy are a concern for the safety of employees and guardianship of the environment. QICT’s existing operations are carried out in accordance with a corporate environmental management system based on this Policy, which has been certified against ISO 14001; and an occupational health and safety management system certified against OHSAS 18001. ISO certifications were obtained from Lloyd''s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) in 2006, with the next compliance audit scheduled for April 2009. QICT has a full-time Safety and Environment manager with responsibility for all safety and environmental matters at the terminal, who reports directly to senior management and supervises a team of Safety and Environment Officers. Management and supervisory staff in each business unit are responsible for implementing and maintaining the safety and environmental management systems necessary to comply with this Safety & Environment, and are held accountable for compliance and performance, which is reported quarterly to QICT’s senior management team. A key element of its Safety and Environment management systems is a detailed set of emergency response procedures, operational manuals and emergency checklists. All employees, contractors and contract workers are trained on these management systems at the time of hiring, with mandatory annual refresher courses.
PS2: Labor and Working Conditions
QICT currently has 490 employees working over three shifts. Non-essential functions (catering, office cleaning, routine equipment maintenance) are contracted out. Security personnel are employed by QICT directly, and are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. QICT’s Human Resources (HR) department oversees all aspects of employee recruiting, hiring, training, evaluation, remuneration and promotion, in conformance with DP World’s corporate HR policies. These conform broadly to the relevant requirements of IFC’s PS2, including establishing, maintaining and improving employee-management relations; allowing for the formation of worker’s organizations if these are desired by its employees; promoting fair treatment, non-discrimination and equal opportunity of workers; ensuring compliance with national labor and employment laws; promoting safe and healthy working conditions; protecting and promoting the health of workers; and establishing a mechanism that allows employee grievances to be articulated and addressed, as and when they may occur. Going forward, QICT’s labor policies will be modified to explicitly reference these principles.
As required by DP World policy, QICT has an established Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) program to ensure workplace safety of all employees, including pre-employment and regular medical evaluations, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), and regular training in workplace hazards, safe work procedures, and emergency response activities. DP World reviews its corporate HSE policies on annual basis in order to improve the workplace environment at all of its facilities. QICT’s S&E Manager coordinates an interdepartmental Safety Committee to review practices and performance on a monthly basis. Policies and supporting documentation (i.e., a detailed health and safety manual) were provided to IFC during the site visit. EHS performance is tracked monthly by monitoring and reporting lost time injury frequency rates (LTIFRs) against annual targets set by DP World. Pakistan labor law incorporates all major International Labor Organization (ILO) treaties. QICT has confirmed that it complies with all national laws and regulations, including those relating to employment of minors. The minimum age of employees at all its operations is 18 years of age, including contractor employees and casual workers. QICT’s security staff are required to check the national identify cards of anyone entering the terminal premises to verify that they are at least 18 years old.
HSE performance during construction is being managed jointly by QICT; its project management consultant Royal Haskoning UK; the main construction contractor (China Harbour Engineering Company, CHEC), and a local construction company, TechnoConsult. The HSE team holds weekly project progress meetings, including a thorough review of HSE performance, which, to date, has been strong. CHEC has prepared an HSE Handbook in Chinese, English and Urdu, conducts weekly safety briefings for all construction supervisors, provides training for all on-site workers including truck drivers, and provides all requisite PPE to their workers. CHEC and Techno Consult are directly responsible for construction phase EHS performance, which is monitored daily by QICT. CHEC has employed 200 Chinese nationals, largely as skilled laborers and in supervisory positions, and TechnoConsult employs local construction workers: these currently number 150, a number that is expected grow to 600 during the peak construction phase. QICT gives preference to local residents in hiring and training semi-skilled and unskilled labor. Expatriate workers are accommodated in on-site housing equipped with adequate sanitation facilities and centralized cafeteria facilities.
Pollution Prevention and Abatement
Electricity demand during normal terminal operations is 5400 kVA, sourced from the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), whose thermal power plants operate currently on high speed diesel oil but is expected to add additional gas-fired generation capacity in mid-2009. QICT also has standby diesel generators for use during interruptions of the KESC grid; these are used infrequently and for short durations. Water is provided via the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB); QICT filters and treats incoming KW&SB water to provide adequate supplies of potable water. AS part of its HSE management, QICT monitors both electricity and water consumption and has in place ongoing programs to identify energy efficiency opportunities. Electricity for construction is also drawn from the KESC grid, with use of standby diesel gensets in the event of supply interruptions; water supplies for construction activities (largely for domestic uses) will also be drawn from KW&SB, with filtering and treatment to ensure sufficient potable supplies.
Routine maintenance dredging of the port and harbor is the responsibility of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA), which operates a fleet of dredgers and barges for this purpose. PQA is also responsible for vessel support operations involving bilge and other ship-generated wastewaters and wastes management, and relies on licensed contractors to provide these services to vessels. QICT recently acquired a purpose-built spill container trailer to enable it to segregate and control material from leaking containers, which are then disposed of by a licensed waste disposal contractor. Because maintenance activities conducted at the terminal are minimal, only small amounts of hazardous materials (paints, solvents, lubricants) are stored and handled in the workshop areas. Fuel tanks for QICT’s standby generators and for vehicle refueling have appropriate containment features to prevent spills from being released to the environment. Ship fueling facilities are managed by PQA. Domestic wastewater is treated in septic tanks to meet applicable Pakistan laws and regulations prior to discharge. Sludge from septic tanks is removed periodically and disposed of by a licensed waste removal contractor. QICT stores containers in accordance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions to prevent potentially dangerous combinations of goods coming into contact with one another. Customer-identified IMO Dangerous and Hazardous containers are transferred to and stored in designated container sheds separated from QICT''s main container storage yard.
A small increase in emissions from construction activities is expected, primarily dust emissions from vehicle movement and excavation activities. CHEC provides appropriate PPE to workers in high dust areas, and uses bowsers to control dust where needed. All other wastes are disposed of in the manner described above for wastes generated during normal operations. Wastes from construction (iron cuttings, scrap metal, oil and oily soak cotton waste, wood, cardboard, etc.) are recycled where possible or sold. DP World conducts a weekly HSE inspection, including general housekeeping in construction and worker housing areas, appropriate fuel storage, solid and liquid waste disposal, spill prevention, and overall adherence to the HSE manual.
PS 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource Management
As noted above, approximately 25 hectare (ha) for the Phase II project is being reclaimed from tidal lands, in accordance with the Port Master Plan developed by PQA. The area to be reclaimed varies in depth and will be brought up to the current berth level by filling with material recovered during routine harbor maintenance activities that involve removal of siltation from previously dredged areas. Reclamation will be done in three phases. In the first phase, an area of 10ha will be completed, followed by a second and third phase of 9ha and 6ha respectively. The dredging will have no significant impacts on mangrove fishery or other resources, as there are no mangroves within the boundary of the project area. Dredging and filling activities are carefully managed and aggressively supervised by QICT’s HSE team to ensure against damage to marine resources, including mangroves. QICT participates in an ongoing program sponsored by IUCN, in association with the Sindh Province Forestry Department, of mangrove conservation, replanting and sustainable management in the Korangi creek and adjoining areas.
