BML Revision: Ropework, Access & Lifting Gear (Section 6)

Revision card 10 of 16 — Boatmaster's Licence, Tier 1 Level 2 Underpinning Knowledge, MSN 1853 Annex 10.

Ropework

• Safe use of man-made fibre, wire and combination ropes
• Inspection and certification requirements for all wires and ropes
• Correct use of knots, splices, bends, hitches and stoppers
• New for Level 2: purchases, tackles and riggings, including mechanical advantage

Access

• Gangways and other approved means of access — rigging, recovering and maintaining them
• Methods for ensuring safe movement onboard once you're on it
• New for Level 2: the effects of tide, wind, waves, swell, and changes of draught and trim — plus passing vessels — while alongside

Quick Self-Check

• What's mechanical advantage, and why does it matter when rigging a tackle?
• Name three things that can change how safe your gangway is between one hour and the next.

Related Reading

• Pelican of London — a fatal gangway fall where guard ropes and safety netting were inadequate, the exact access failure this section tests against