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Watch Onze Haven (Our Port): North Sea Port works jointly with companies for a secure port area

Published on Tue 22 Nov 2022
Port areas where large volumes of goods are handled each day are crucial to our daily lives and our economy. As this also makes them vulnerable, all the world's ports have strong security systems in place and everyone plays their part.

From the Captain's Office of the North Sea Port Authority, security is monitored with cameras, radars and automatic identification systems. But port lieutenant Lies Opsommer also ensures security on-site: "Although the companies are responsible for the security of their own sites, we are also available to quickly intervene if necessary."

Importance of security plans

One such company, for example, is DFDS. Terminal Director Raf De Wit explains: "A couple of years ago we switched from a static system, where every truck driver had to register at a counter, to a dynamic one, where the drivers can check in themselves and their cargo. That now gives us control over everything that goes in and out here."

"Every company in our port has to have a security plan," confirms port security advisor Hein Versluis. "Ever since the major attacks at the beginning of this century, ports have had to comply with international rules. As a port authority, it's an important job of ours to approve companies' security plans and to monitor the security of the port."

Onze Haven is a report about North Sea Port that's also broadcast every two weeks on Wednesdays on the Nederlandse Omroep Zeeland (5:15 pm) and the East Flanders regional channel AVS (6:00 pm). You can also find all previous episodes on our YouTube channel.