202518 Hazard in plain sigh

Crew were preparing the gangway prior to arrival as the vessel approached port. As part of this process, crew had to climb several steps on the gangway stowage rack integrated ladder and release the stowage cleats fore and aft.

A crew member accomplished this well-established routine, but while stepping down from the ladder he slipped from a height of about 1.2m, falling on the deck and landing on his right leg. The impact caused a fracture of the right knee.

Lessons learned

This common and well-practised procedure did not appear to be hazardous. Crew had accomplished this task innumerable times without incident. But after the accident, we can see that the integrated ladder, as installed, poses several ‘safety traps’.

• The ladder gives good access to the gangway securing cleats but also gives a false sense of security. One hand is needed to hold yourself steady on the ladder, while one hand is free to work the cleat.
• The relatively low height of the access ladder adds to the false sense of security, after all, what can happen at such a low height? This accident proves that even a fall of 1.2m can cause a serious injury.