Innovation is being encouraged at Northern Stevedoring Services.
Workshop Diesel Fitter Matt Morgan was recognised in December as Employee of the Month walking away with a $200 gift card.
Matt contributed to developing a variation in design of half height containers to allow better flow in handling concentrate.
Main image: NSS Diesel Fitter Matt Morgan
In short, the design allows the movement of the Rotabox to incorporate lifting the lids of the CSXU half height containers thereby replacing the use of a forklift and manual labour.
It was a communal effort Matt said.
“Just years and years of working on these Rotaboxes and information from colleagues and in a very lucky position.
“We get to work with a lot of different people down here, so you get a lot of different ideas and collectively I think we can always come up with something pretty good.
“Just having a knowledge of the expected outcome and because we see it day to day here and only have to change up a couple little things and just knowing how the machine works. It always helps.”
The system was in the approvals phase said Matt.
An example of its potential effectiveness is in Mount Isa where NSS has a contract to import concentrate for the smelter involving handling 50 containers a day.
Matt did his diesel fitter apprenticeship at the Port of Townsville and stared with NSS in 2018.