Function-Specific Risk Perception in Reach-Stacker Project-Cargo Lifting at Brazilian Ports

Lifting project cargo with reach stackers in port terminals entails significant operational risks due to heavy, non-standardized loads, dynamic behavior, equipment constraints, limited visibility, and simultaneous yard circulation. While port risk research addresses multidimensional factors, it has not examined role-specific risk perceptions. Although previous port-safety studies have examined terminal-level hazards, equipment-related risks, accident causation, and general worker risk perception, comparatively little research has quantified how perceived criticality differs among the multiple occupational functions simultaneously involved in the same heavy-lifting operation. To address this gap, a study evaluated risk perception across nine operational functions using a structured Preliminary Risk Analysis questionnaire completed by professionals from eight Brazilian port terminals. The final analytical dataset comprised 1639 valid severity–probability pairs from 41 respondents. The highest-risk operational conditions included proximity to suspended or tensioned loads, unexpected equipment or load movement, circulation within active lifting areas, ground instability, blind spots, and maintenance failures. We calculated respondent-level perceived-risk scores as the mean of valid severity × probability ratings across applicable critical points, then aggregated them within operational functions to obtain the Function Criticality Index (FCI). Differences among operational functions were significant (H=29.81, p<0.001, ε2=0.68), and the ranking remained stable after item-level standardization. The Lifting Assistant exhibited the highest function-level criticality, defined as the mean respondent-level risk score obtained by averaging severity × probability ratings across applicable critical points, followed by the Support Driver, Reach Stacker Operator, and Maintenance Team. The highest-risk operational conditions included proximity to suspended or tensioned loads, unexpected equipment or load movement, circulation within active lifting areas, ground instability, blind spots, and maintenance failures. The findings indicate that safety management must move beyond equipment-centered controls to incorporate function-specific exposure and prioritize workers nearest active risk zones. The proposed Function Criticality Index (FCI) may assist risk prioritization, targeted training, and preventive-control planning. An exploratory analysis suggested that some highly rated functions had comparatively lower coverage of formal qualifications, although this association was not statistically significant.