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Access to vessels

Access to vessels should generally be provided by the ship's accommodation ladder, gangways or other ladders. It is the duty of the ship's Master and his employer to provide and maintain safely in position, a ship's gangway or accommodation ladder under the Merchant Shipping (Means of Access) Regulations 1988

The duties of shore based workers are to monitor access gangways and accommodation ladders and only use if they are safe.

Access to small vessels

Due to their size , the access to small vessels may be provided by the dock or port. This may be via ladder, gangway, pontoon or directly from the vessel onto the quay.

Good co-ordination and co-operation is vital when accessing small craft to make sure that access and egress can be done safely and without risks to health. Consideration should also be given to issues such as: adequate lighting, maintenance, prevailing conditions, housekeeping, etc. 

HSE carried out a review on the Standards as Quayside Ladders [31]

Linkspans

These are used to provide a safe means of access between ship and shore at all states of the tide. They can be designed for use by people or vehicles and in some cases both, provided that adequate separation is provided. Further information on linkspans and walkways[32] is available.

Further information

Link URLs in this page

  1. Ports and dockshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/index.htm
  2. Overview - Ports industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/hse.htm
  3. Key industry stakeholdershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/stakeholders.htm
  4. Enforcing authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/enforcing.htm
  5. Overview - Legal requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/legal-requirements.htm
  6. Dangerous goods - (DGHAR) https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/dangerous-goods.htm
  7. Fishing vesselshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/fishing-vessels.htm
  8. FAQs on ports and dockshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/faqs.htm
  9. Overview - Freight container safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/containers.htm
  10. Freight container regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/regulations.htm
  11. Container design and manufacture approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/container-approval.htm
  12. Container examination schemeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/container-examination.htm
  13. RAIB - accident reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/raib.htm
  14. Overview - Topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/topics.htm
  15. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/transport.htm
  16. Lifting operationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/lifting-operations.htm
  17. Working at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/falls.htm
  18. Dusty cargoeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/dusty-cargoes.htm
  19. Musculoskeletal disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/msd.htm
  20. Whole-body vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/vibration.htm
  21. Slips and tripshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/slips-and-trips.htm
  22. Confined spaceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/confined-spaces.htm
  23. Overview - Access to vesselshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/access-to-vessels.htm
  24. Linkspans and walkwayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/linkspans-walkways.htm
  25. Standards at quayside ladders https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/quayladder.htm
  26. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/resources.htm
  27. Publications and guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/publications.htm
  28. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/case-studies.htm
  29. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/statistics.htm
  30. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/links.htm
  31. Standards as Quayside Ladders https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/quayladder.htm
  32. linkspans and walkwayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/linkspans-walkways.htm
  33. SIP014 Guidance on Safe Access and Egress in Portshttps://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources/sip014-guidance-safe-access-and-egress
  34. Loading and Unloading Fishing Vessels Regulations 1988 (HSR28)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsr28.htm
  35. SIP021 - Guidance on Safe Access to Fishing Vessels and Small Craft in Ports https://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources/sip021-guidance-safe-access-fishing-vessels-and-small-craft
  36. L148 - Safety in docks. ACOPhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l148.htm
  37. L155 - Dangerous goods in harbour areas Regs 2016https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l155.htm
  38. Container approval - Green guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dis8.htm
  39. Container examination - Yellow guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dis9.htm
  40. Quick guide to health and safety in portshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg446.htm
  41. Port Skills and Safety https://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources
  42. Department for Transport - Portshttps://www.gov.uk/transport/ports-harbours-and-offshore-installations
  43. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)http://www.imo.org/
  44. Port skills and safetyhttps://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources
  45. Logisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/logistics/index.htm
  46. Risk managementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
  47. Explosivehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/index.htm
  48. Work equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/index.htm
  49. Work at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
  50. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

DGHAR
Duties under the Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016
RAIB
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
ACOP
Approved Code of Practice

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Updated 2022-06-28