Understanding Ship's Accommodation & Gangway Safety Rules
- Admin
- Oct 7
- 2 min read
Safe access to and from the ship is one of the most basic — yet critical — parts of daily shipboard operations. Falls from gangways and ladders remain a common cause of serious injury. To prevent such accidents, international and national regulations (such as the Canada Labour Code, Regulation 12) define strict requirements for accommodation ladders and gangways.
Let’s review Ship's Gangway Safety Rules 👇
1. Construction and Positioning Requirements
An accommodation ladder or gangway must:
Be firmly secured to the ship’s bulwark or deck structure.
Be properly aligned with the means of access to the vessel — no unsafe gaps or misalignment.
Have safe, non-slip treads at least 600 mm wide and 200 mm deep.
Have handrails/stanchions on both sides — smooth, not less than 40 mm in diameter.
End no higher than 1.2 m above the top of the bulwark.
Be fitted at the lower end with a landing platform or rest that remains 700–800 mm above the water or quay.
2. Rigging, Lighting & Maintenance
Every gangway or ladder must be:
Maintained in good, safe condition — no bent steps, missing bolts, or worn lashings.
Installed to reduce movement caused by vessel motion or swell.
Properly rigged to compensate for ship movement, preventing twisting or over-strain.
Adequately lighted during use, especially at night or in low visibility.
Rigged at a safe angle, ideally not more than 40° to the horizontal.
Fitted with a lifebuoy and line near the access point for immediate use.
Mechanically and structurally sound — all gearing, winches, and supports must be fully operational.
3. Safety Netting
To prevent falls between the ship and quay:
Safety netting must be rigged under and alongside the gangway or ladder.
It must extend on both sides and be kept taut with a depth of at least 1.8 m.
If a platform is fitted at the bottom, it must be flat and horizontal.
If the design makes a safety net impractical, alternative protection must be arranged and approved by the responsible officer.
4. Key Takeaways for Crew and Officers
Always check rigging and securing before allowing anyone to use the ladder.
Never exceed the safe working load (SWL) or the maximum persons allowed.
Keep the inspection certificate and test records ready for Class or PSC checks.
Report and repair any defect immediately — damaged ladders can lead to severe accidents and detentions.
Remember 'Ship's Gangway Safety Rules'
A properly rigged and marked accommodation or gangway ladder is not just a compliance requirement — it’s a lifeline between ship and shore. One careless moment or missing safety net can result in serious injury or fatality.
All these safety rules look perfect in books, but when we arrive to many ports, they just don’t work. The berth construction often makes it impossible to rig the gangway safely — no space, wrong height, no place for a net. We end up using portable ladders and trying to make something that looks safe after a pile of risk assessments, but it’s never really safe. If ports just had one proper access ladder or platform, half of these problems would disappear.