Gangway Operations: Safety of the Accommodation Ladder

The revised guideline distinguishes design, fall protection and operational measures: PPE, safety net and access control depend on configuration, risk, Administration and SSP/SMS.

Operational Explanation

MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 is a guideline. Section 3.10 recommends lifejackets and safety harnesses for personnel rigging accommodation ladders and gangways; 1 July 2026 defines equipment installed on or after that date for construction standards, not a universal PPE commencement date.

Regulatory Reference

Section 3.8 permits omission of the safety net only when both conditions are met: a rigid top railing with a side net down to the base, including platforms, and a railing complying with relevant standards at least 1,000 mm high. An unspecified guardrail is insufficient. Section 3.4.1’s 600 mm concerns the lower platform at maximum design inclination in the lightest seagoing condition.

Check the arrangement each time it is rigged and maintain it under manufacturer instructions and the applicable programme. Section 5 distinguishes the five-yearly static load test of the ladder/gangway from the operational winch test raising and lowering the unloaded ladder; document examinations and tests. MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1.

MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 §§2.1–2.3 distinguishes ships constructed from 2010 and installations before/from 1 July 2026; new installations on pre-2010 ships follow standards so far as reasonable and practicable. Section 3.4.3 allows accepted alternatives for decks above 20 m and other cases deemed impracticable. Section 3.7.1 gives 30° for gangways and 55° for accommodation ladders unless designed, constructed and marked for greater angles; always observe plate limits.

Scope of Application

Means of access subject to SOLAS II-1/3-9 and their approval. The 600 mm criterion concerns ladder design under stated conditions. Safety nets and side protection depend on fall risk and §3.8 alternatives. Access control follows the approved SSP and current security level.

Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Check approved configuration, angles, loads, winch and hoisting arrangement.
2. Apply the §3.8 fall-risk criterion and determine whether side protection removes the need for a net.
3. Implement guideline PPE under Administration and SMS requirements without inventing a universal date.
4. Control access under the SSP and security level without presuming one open point or a 24/7 watchman.

Practical Example

Before port, the officer checks approved limits and configuration, assesses a net or equivalent protection from risk, applies PPE implemented in the SMS and controls access under the SSP and security level.

What Typically Goes Wrong

Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Material errors include treating 600 mm as a universal operational clearance; linking a net only to water; assigning PPE an independent universal date; imposing a security configuration absent from the SSP; or treating ladder and winch as one lifting appliance.

What the PSCO Checks

Operational Tips

• Do not trust visual perception of the angle alone: always verify the actual value against the limits indicated on the ladder.
• Inspect the ladder, winch and associated hoisting arrangement separately under their respective requirements; the ladder is not itself classified as lifting equipment.
• Always coordinate the ladder's structural safety with its role as a security control point: they are two different dimensions of the same critical point.

Preparation checklist

• Approved configuration and limits checked
• Net/side protection assessed under §3.8
• PPE applied under implementation and SMS
• Access controlled under SSP/security level
• Ladder distinguished from its winch

FAQ

Related Topics

Last substantive revision of this page: 16 September 2026 · page fingerprint f2f1097c4bcf