Gangway, Tender, Shore — Three Steps Most Crew Take Every Day, and One That Can Kill

How Many Times Have You Walked Up a Gangway Without Thinking About It?

100 times? 500 times? More? That familiarity is exactly what makes it dangerous. A fall from a gangway between the ship’s side and the dock — in the dark, after a long voyage, carrying bags — can be fatal. A fall from a pilot ladder. A visiting surveyor who doesn’t know how to read vessel movement. A watchman who is doing two jobs at once.

The International Institute of Marine Surveying has highlighted the persistent gap between what gangway regulations require and what actually happens in practice. That gap is yours to close.

Where It Goes Wrong

Pilot Ladder Defects

SOLAS and associated regulations set out detailed requirements for pilot ladders — spreader steps, side ropes, securing arrangements, height above water, and condition. Surveys and port state control inspections regularly identify pilot ladders that are rigged incorrectly, have damaged rungs, have inadequate lighting, or are deployed at unsafe angles. The pilot boarding in deteriorating weather, in the dark, with spray on the steps, does not have the time to assess whether the ladder is safe — they trust that it is. That trust is the ship’s responsibility to honour.

Gangway Rigging and Monitoring

A gangway that is correctly rigged in calm conditions at high water can become dangerous as the tide falls, the vessel shifts at the berth, or weather deteriorates. Gangways require continuous monitoring — not a one-time setup. Net presence, safety line rigging, adequate lighting, non-slip surfaces, and load limits must all be maintained throughout the time the gangway is in use.

Watchman Complacency

The gangway watchman role exists for two reasons: security and safety. Neither is served by a watchman who is distracted, asleep, or not positioned to observe. If someone falls from the gangway or access point, the watchman is often the only person who can raise the alarm immediately. Response time in a man overboard from the gangway — in a port, between the hull and the dock — is measured in seconds, not minutes.

Visitor and Non-Seafarer Risk

Not everyone who boards a vessel has sea legs or operational familiarity with shipboard access. Surveyors, port officials, family visitors, and supernumeraries may not know how to read sea state, anticipate vessel movement, or use handrails correctly. The responsibility for briefing them and assessing whether conditions are safe lies with the ship.

What Safe Practice Actually Looks Like

• Inspect the gangway or accommodation ladder before use and after every significant weather or tide change
• Ensure safety net is correctly rigged and extends the full width and length of the gangway
• Confirm lighting is adequate for the conditions at the time of use — not just at installation
• Rig a life buoy with a line at the gangway head — positioned for immediate throw, not stored nearby
• Position and brief the gangway watchman on their duty — one primary job, not a secondary task
• Brief all visitors and non-seafarers before they board on how to use the access safely
• For pilot ladders: inspect every time before rigging, check spreader spacing, step condition, and rope integrity
• Record gangway and pilot ladder inspections in the deck log
• Reassess continuously as conditions change — a safe setup at 0800 may not be safe at 2200

Walk to your gangway right now. Look at it with fresh eyes — not the eyes of someone who rigged it and knows it is “fine.” Is the net correctly rigged? Is the lighting adequate? Is there a life buoy in position? Is someone actually watching it?

Related Reading

• Working at Height — the same risk factors apply to gangway falls as to cargo hold fatalities
• UK Port Safety 2026 — port-side safety obligations and what they mean for crew
• Seafarer Fatigue — a fatigued watchkeeper managing a gangway at the end of a long voyage is a safety risk
• Safe Harbour — how to formally report a gangway or access equipment concern
• Enclosed Space Entry — routine operations require the same disciplined risk assessment as gangway use