Abstract
This study investigates the impact of quay transfer accidents on port operations performance at Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania’s principal maritime gateway and a strategic node in East and Central Africa’s trade corridors. Despite ongoing modernization, the port experiences frequent operational disruptions arising from quay-side incidents during cargo handling, which significantly undermine efficiency, safety, and economic performance. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative data from structured surveys and official records with qualitative insights from interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Findings reveal that human error, mechanical equipment failure, unsafe working conditions, and administrative inefficiencies are key contributors to accidents, leading to prolonged ship turnaround times, cargo damage, revenue loss, increased insurance claims, and reputational decline. The analysis, grounded in Risk Management Theory, Systems Theory, and the Swiss Cheese Model, highlights the systemic nature of these disruptions and the inadequacy of reactive safety measures. Although safety regulations are in place, weak enforcement and limited investment in modern handling technology and predictive maintenance exacerbate operational vulnerabilities. The study concludes that without strategic interventions including continuous workforce training, digital monitoring systems, equipment upgrades, and institutional safety culture reforms quay transfer-based accidents will continue to impede port performance and limit Tanzania’s trade competitiveness. By bridging empirical data with theoretical insights, the study not only offers practical recommendations for enhancing safety and efficiency at Dar es Salaam Port but also contributes a replicable framework for accident mitigation and performance improvement in similarly constrained ports across the Global trade.