SpatialCortex shortlisted for PSS Best Members' Collaboration Award following mooring manual handling risk assessment at Portsmouth International Port
- Jun 26
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
SpatialCortex has been named a finalist for the Port Skills and Safety (PSS) Best Members' Collaboration Award 2026, recognising a programme of Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk assessment and intervention carried out with Portsmouth International Port (PIP). The work used MOVA biomechanical sensors to assess manual handling risk in mooring operations, identify a high-risk berth, and reduce MSD risk exposure among Quay Assistants following targeted intervention.
The award was decided at the PSS Members' Conference on 7 July 2026, where all three finalists — SpatialCortex, Invisible Traffick, and Dublin Port Company — presented to an audience of port industry professionals.
Why berth-level MSD risk assessment matters in port mooring operations
Mooring is not one task. Depending on the berth and available equipment, Quay Assistants at Portsmouth move between manual bollard berths and capstan-assisted systems, each placing different biomechanical demands on the body. A manual handling risk assessment that treats mooring as a single activity can miss this variation, and miss the berths where exposure is highest.
MOVA sensors were used to carry out structured biomechanical assessment across PIP's operational berths, capturing data from Quay Assistants as they worked through their normal duties. The assessment identified one manual-bollard berth as a clear outlier for MSD risk exposure, giving PIP's safety team a specific, evidenced case for change rather than a general one.
Engineering control and technique optimisation: what the intervention involved
The response to the berth-level findings was direct. A capstan was introduced at the berth identified as highest risk, replacing manual bollard work with capstan-assisted mooring and removing the primary source of elevated exposure at that berth.
In parallel, SpatialCortex's biomechanist reviewed the MOVA data for technique-level optimisations — adjustments to how the mooring task can be performed that reduce strain regardless of equipment. This analysis informed workshops run jointly with Quay Assistants and Berthing Masters, working through the findings directly with the people doing the task. Sensor data can identify where risk sits. It cannot, on its own, change how a job is done, that takes people with operational experience deciding what is workable. The workshops were where the data became practice.
Pre- and post-intervention results showed reduction in MSD risk exposure
Comparing biomechanical risk exposure before and after the technique optimisation workshop, the data showed a quantifiable reduction in MSD risk exposure of up to 40%. The capstan installation at the highest-risk berth is the subject of ongoing follow-on assessment, with results expected to reflect a further reduction in exposure at that specific location.
Why this work was entered for a collaboration award
The programme depended on PIP's safety team opening up berth access across live operations, and on Quay Assistants and Berthing Masters engaging directly with the workshop process. The technology made the risk visible. The port decided what to do about it.
Chris Hatter, Head of Compliance, and Kathryn Angus, Port Health and Safety Officer, provided the operational access and institutional commitment that made the programme possible. At the PSS Members' Conference on 7 July 2026, Kathryn joined the SpatialCortex team on stage at Courtyard Marriott Heathrow, where all three shortlisted entries presented to port industry professionals.
The work continues, including follow-on assessment of the capstan installation.
If you are working on manual handling risk in a ports or freight environment and want to understand what berth-level biomechanical assessment could look like for your operation, get in touch with the SpatialCortex team.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
What is MOVA and how is it used in port MSD risk assessment?
MOVA is a wearable biomechanical sensor system developed by SpatialCortex. In a port environment, Quay Assistants wear MOVA sensors during normal mooring operations. The sensors capture movement and loading data across a working shift, enabling a biomechanist to identify which tasks and berths carry the highest MSD risk exposure. Assessment is structured by role and berth rather than applied uniformly across an operation.
How does berth-level assessment differ from a standard manual handling risk assessment?
Standard manual handling assessments typically treat a role or task category as a single unit of risk. Berth-level biomechanical assessment captures the actual variation between working locations, equipment type, load characteristics, technique demands — and can identify specific berths where exposure is disproportionately high. At Portsmouth International Port, this approach identified a single manual-bollard berth as a clear outlier, enabling targeted intervention rather than blanket control measures.
What reduction in MSD risk exposure did the Portsmouth International Port programme achieve?
Following technique optimisation workshops informed by MOVA biomechanical data, pre- and post-intervention assessment showed a reduction in MSD risk exposure of up to 40% among Quay Assistants involved in mooring operations. A separate follow-on assessment is underway to measure the additional impact of the capstan installation at the highest-risk berth.
What is the PSS Best Members' Collaboration Award?
The PSS Best Members' Collaboration Award is presented by Port Skills and Safety, the UK ports industry health and safety body, at its annual Members' Conference. It recognises programmes developed collaboratively between PSS member organisations. SpatialCortex has been shortlisted alongside Invisible Traffick and Dublin Port Company for the 2026 award, to be decided by delegate vote on 7 July 2026.
Can MOVA be used for MSD risk assessment in other port or freight environments?
Yes. MOVA has been used across ports, freight, logistics, and rail environments. The system is designed for assessment in operational conditions, it captures biomechanical data from workers performing real tasks, rather than simulated or controlled movements, making it suited to environments where role demands vary significantly by location or task type.
