See unitsDeck equipment and machinery: winches, cranes, hatches, watertight doors, pilot ladders and gangways
Gangways, accommodation ladders and pilot ladder winch reels
1The lesson in plain words
Safe access needs the right angle, approved fall protection, a lifebuoy and good light. Check it each time. Pilot ladder rigging is in Ropes: deck safety.
What they are
A gangway is a portable bridge from ship to shore. An accommodation ladder hangs along the ship’s side from a platform at deck level, with a lower platform near the water, and is raised and lowered by a winch. SOLAS II-1/3-9 covers both. IMO guidance on building, maintaining and inspecting them was revised in 2025 as MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1. Read both end plates for permitted angles, maximum load and any limit on people.
Rigging rules
Use gangways at 30° or less and accommodation ladders at 55° or less from horizontal unless designed and marked for more. Rig a safety net unless the ship’s approved arrangement has rigid top rails at least 1 m high and side nets down to the base, including accommodation-ladder platforms. Keep a lifebuoy with a self-igniting light and buoyant lifeline nearby. Light the access at night. Never secure to guardrails unless designed for it. Wear a lifejacket and secured harness while rigging.
Watching and checking
Tide and cargo work change the angle and position: check it and adjust. The foot must run freely on its wheels or rollers. Check it each time it is rigged for bends, cracks and corrosion, especially aluminium with steel fittings. Examine the ladder, gangway and winch thoroughly yearly. Every five years, statically load test the ladder and gangway, and operationally test the winch with the ladder unloaded. Support wires are renewed when worn, and at least every five years. Every check is recorded.
Winch reels
An accommodation ladder winch raises and lowers the ladder; check its brake and controls before use. A pilot ladder winch reel stores the pilot ladder on a drum. It is not a securing point. A combination arrangement uses an accommodation ladder with a pilot ladder when the climb exceeds 9 m. Mechanical pilot hoists are already prohibited. Revised SOLAS V/23, effective 1 January 2028, adds pilot-transfer requirements, including standards for winch reels.
2Key data
- Maximum angle
- Gangway 30°; accommodation ladder 55° (unless designed and marked)
- At the access
- Approved fall protection; lifebuoy with light and line; lighting
- Examination and tests
- Yearly examination; 5-yearly static and winch operational tests
- Support wires
- Renewed when needed, at least every 5 years
- Combination arrangement
- Pilot climb over 9 m: accommodation ladder + pilot ladder
- Revised SOLAS V/23
- Pilot-transfer requirements effective 1 January 2028
3Key points
- 1
Gangway no steeper than 30°, accommodation ladder no steeper than 55°, unless marked for more.
- 2
Use the approved fall protection; keep a lifebuoy with light and line ready, and provide good lighting.
- 3
Check it each time it is rigged and adjust for tide and draught; record inspections.
- 4
Ladders/gangways: yearly examination, five-yearly static load test; renew support wires at least every five years.
- 5
A pilot ladder winch reel stores the ladder; it is not the securing point.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: At low water the gangway has steepened to about 40°, but it is still usable with care.
Right: A gangway must not be used beyond 30° unless designed and marked for it. Reposition it or rig the accommodation ladder.
Wrong: The pilot ladder can hang directly from its winch reel because the reel has a brake.
Right: The reel only stows the ladder. The ladder is secured to strong points on deck, as covered in Ropes: deck safety.
5Practice case & exam keys
In a port with a large tidal range you are on gangway watch at night. Over three hours the ship has risen, the gangway is steep, its foot wheels are jammed against a bollard, and the safety net has slackened.
Show the answer
Tell the officer at once and keep people off until it is fixed. The angle may now be over the gangway’s marked limit, and a jammed foot can twist or drop the gangway. With help, reposition or re-rig it, free the foot, and tighten the net so it would catch a fall between ship and quay. Check the lifebuoy with light and line is in place and the lighting still covers the access.
Exam keys
- SOLAS II-1/3-9 and MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 (2025): gangways and accommodation ladders.
- Gangway ≤ 30°, accommodation ladder ≤ 55°, unless designed and marked; marking plate at each end.
- Approved fall protection, lifebuoy with self-igniting light and buoyant line, lighting; check at each rigging.
- Pilot ladder winch reel is not a securing point; combination arrangement over 9 m; revised V/23 from 1 Jan 2028.
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