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41/43 Berths
This "common user" terminal operated by the Port of London Authority had a successful year
and dealt with 935 vessels compared with 626 in 1970. Eleven services operated from the berth
with vessels arriving from France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, East Germany,Poland, Finland,
Spain, Portugal, Russia and Canada. Of the imported containers 5,030 contained food and of these
214 were notified to "receiving authorities" as they were not cleared by H.M. Customs at Tilbury.
Of the remaining 4,816 containers, 997 were opened for examination by officers of the Authority
so that detailed inspections could be carried out.
4 Berth
This berth handling container and conventional cargoes was seriously affected by the strike
of dock workers in U.S.A. in the latter part of the year. Nevertheless, total container imports increased
from 2,647 in 1970 to 3,134 of which 2,582 contained foodstuffs. This berth, in fact, produced
a higher percentage of food containers compared with total imports than any other berth in
the dock, and a very busy year is expected in 1972. Thirty-six ocean going container ships were
handled during the year.
26 Berth
Traffic over this berth which is solely used by the Swedish Lloyd ferry service to Gothenburg
also increased as expected, 201 arrivals were handled compared with 150 the year before. 10,780
units (Flats and Containers) were imported but of these only 665 containers were of food.
40 Berth
As already reported this berth ceased operations in August when U.S. Lines left Tilbury for
Felixstowe. Up to that time it had handled 36 vessels from the U.S.A. and 45 from European ports
which had discharged nearly 7,000 containers, 723 of which contained foods.
Although this valuable berth lay idle until the end of the year a new continental container
service commenced in the first week of January 1972.
At the beginning of the year the Port of London Authority introduced 24 hour shift working at
various container terminals to speed up the turnround of vessels.
The seven day week, 24 hour day working that was already operating at the OCL Terminal
39 Berth was extended to include 40 Berth and 41/43 Berths.
With the co-operation of the port industry, together with limitations as to clearances put on
deliveries by H.M. Customs outside the normal working period of 0700 hrs., to 21.00 hrs., it was
found possible to control food importations without introducing a night shift into the Port Health
Inspectors pattern of work.
Should H.M. Customs at some future date agree to import clearances and examinations at any
time of the day or night without restriction, the Port Health service may find itself forced into
giving a similar service to enable trade to proceed unhindered.
This pattern of the dock industry working seven days a week on the container terminals has
made it necessary for Port Health Inspectors to make regular week-end attendances. During 1971
Tilbury Dock was manned on every Saturday for at least some part of the day and on six occasions
on Sundays and Bank Holidays purely on food control. With the further expected build up in
this type of traffic, and there is every indication that increases are to be expected, regular
Sunday working by Port Health Inspectors may become necessary.
The following tables, applicable to the various container workings at Tilbury during the year
are produced for information.
Table I
Gives a summary of food containers subject to Port Health clearance arriving from Australia
and being discharged at 39 Berth. These figures do not include food containers notified to inland
authorities for clearance elsewhere.
Table 2
Summarises all major container operations dealt with as to trade, listing shipping arrivals to
the four operational container terminals. Whilst figures quoted have been carefully arrived at they
must be considered to be close approximations rather than be mathematically precise. They do,
however, portray the extent of container traffic on a comparative basis in the various trades.
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