The Platform Collapsed Under a Surveyor and a Chief Officer. Now Inspection Is Mandatory Every Year.

The Incident Behind the Rule

In May 2022, during a drydock survey of a 10-year-old bulk carrier, an ABS surveyor and the vessel's Chief Officer descended onto the upper Permanent Means of Access platform. An entire section collapsed underneath them. That incident sits behind a wave of regulatory tightening that's now reaching crews directly: both ABS and Lloyd's Register issued 2026 guidance requiring far more rigorous PMA inspection than many vessels have been used to.

What Changed

Following the Maritime Safety Committee's 108th session, IMO adopted MSC.1/Circ.1572/Rev.2 — a comprehensive revision of the unified interpretations covering SOLAS Chapter II-1's technical provisions for means of access. The practical result: all means of access arrangements, including portable equipment and associated fittings, must now undergo annual inspection, with each inspection recorded in Part 2 of the Ship Structure Access Manual (SSAM). Before any examination of a space that uses PMA, a condition check of the permanent access equipment specific to that space must also be carried out and recorded.

Why This Isn't Paperwork

A PMA platform that looks structurally sound can have corrosion or fatigue damage that isn't visible without a proper condition check — exactly the gap that led to the 2022 collapse. Annual inspection with documented records exists because a platform's condition genuinely changes year to year in a tank or cargo hold environment, and relying on “it looked fine last time” is precisely the assumption that put a surveyor and a Chief Officer through a collapsing structure.

What Every Deck Officer Should Take From This

• Know where your vessel's SSAM Part 2 is kept and confirm annual PMA inspections are actually recorded there, not just referenced generally
• Before any tank or cargo space entry that uses PMA, carry out and record the space-specific pre-entry condition check — this is now a distinct requirement from the annual inspection
• Treat portable access equipment and fittings with the same inspection discipline as the fixed platforms themselves
• If a platform section shows any sign of corrosion, deformation, or damage, it needs to be out of service until assessed — not used cautiously in the meantime

Related Reading

• Gangway, Tender, Shore — the same principle applies to every access structure a crew relies on
• Working at Height in Cargo Holds — PMA sits inside exactly the environment these investigations cover