Start hereRules checked 20 October 2026
Everyone who boards or leaves a ship in port walks over the gangway or the accommodation ladder: crew, pilots, surveyors, agents, stevedores, families. When one collapses, or a hoisting wire parts, people fall between the ship and the quay or into the water. The weak points are usually ordinary ones: a corroded fitting where aluminium meets steel, a wire never renewed, a bent stanchion, a ladder rigged steeper than it was designed for.
SOLAS regulation II-1/3-9 makes inspection and maintenance of these means of access a duty on every ship, and IMO’s guidelines were revised in 2025. The revision, MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1, updates the construction standards for equipment installed from 1 July 2026 and adds rules on safety nets and the protection of the crew who rig them. Click the parts of the ladder below.
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In this lesson
- Parts of an accommodation ladder to check
- In plain words
- In detail
- What the rules say
- Flag and class notes
- Key numbers
- What inspectors find
- Quiz: 6 questions
Try it
Parts of an accommodation ladder to check
In plain words
A gangway runs from the ship to the quay. An accommodation ladder hangs down the ship’s side, usually from a turntable at deck level, held by a wire from a small davit and winch. Both must be:
- built to a recognised standard (ISO 5488 for accommodation ladders, ISO 7061 for aluminium shore gangways);
- rigged at an angle they were designed for, with handrails, a safety net where someone could fall, lighting, and a lifebuoy nearby;
- inspected each time they are rigged and on a regular schedule, with records kept;
- examined at each annual survey and load tested every five years;
- wire renewed when worn, and at least every five years.
In detail
The rule
SOLAS regulation II-1/3-9, added by resolution MSC.256(84), has been in force since 1 January 2010:
- ships constructed on or after 1 January 2010 must have means of embarkation and disembarkation for use in port, such as gangways and accommodation ladders, built and installed to IMO guidelines, unless the Administration deems a provision unreasonable or impractical;
- for all ships, those means must be inspected and maintained in suitable condition for their intended purpose, taking into account any restrictions related to safe loading, and all wires supporting them must be maintained as SOLAS regulation III/20.4 specifies.
Construction standards since the 2025 revision
| Equipment | Installed before 1 July 2026 (ship built from 2010) | Installed on or after 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation ladder | ISO 5488:1979 | ISO 5488:2015 |
| Aluminium shore gangway | ISO 7061:1993 | ISO 7061:2015 or ISO 7061:2024 |
| Accommodation ladder winch | ISO 7364:1983 | ISO 7364:2016 |
For ships built before 2010, new equipment installed from 1 July 2026 should meet these standards as far as reasonable and practicable. “Installed on or after 1 July 2026” means, for ships contracted (or keel laid) from that date, any installation; for others, a contractual or actual delivery date of the equipment on or after 1 July 2026.
Installation and rigging checks
- Sited clear of cargo working areas and suspended loads.
- Lowest platform not more than 600 mm above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition, at the maximum design angle. Where the embarkation deck is more than 20 m above that waterline, or compliance is impractical, an alternative or supplementary means of access may be accepted.
- Gangways not used steeper than 30 degrees, accommodation ladders not steeper than 55 degrees, unless designed and marked for it.
- Gangways never secured to the ship’s guardrails unless designed for it; gaps in bulwark openings fenced.
- Safety net rigged where a person could fall, unless a rigid top rail at least 1,000 mm high and a side net between rail and ladder base mitigate side falls.
- Crew rigging the ladder, gangway and net wear life jackets and safety harnesses.
- On installation: operational test of winch and ladder, at least two hoisting and lowering cycles for the winch, a static load test of every new accommodation ladder with its specified maximum working load, and verification of the whole arrangement.
Maintenance and records
The guidelines link maintenance to SOLAS regulation III/20.7.2 and the maker’s instructions. Each time the ladder or gangway is rigged, look for distortion, cracks and corrosion, especially where aluminium structures have mild steel fittings. Replace or repair bent stanchions; renew worn guard ropes; keep moving parts free and greased; examine the underside at regular intervals.
Records for each appliance: date of the most recent inspection, who carried it out, the date of the next inspection and the dates the supporting wires were renewed.
Annual and five-yearly survey items
| Survey | Accommodation ladder | Gangway | Winch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | Steps, platforms, support points (pivots, rollers), suspension points (lugs, brackets), stanchions, pins, rails, hand ropes, turntable, side nets, davit, wire and sheaves | Treads, stringers, cross-members, decking, support points (wheels, rollers), stanchions, pins, rails, hand ropes, side nets | Brake pads and band, remote control, power supply |
| Five-yearly | Static load test with the specified maximum working load | Static load test with the specified maximum working load | Operational test raising and lowering the unloaded ladder |
The test load is the design load, or the maximum operational load if lower and marked, or, where neither is known (for example on ships built before 2010), a load nominated by the owner or operator, which then becomes the maximum operational load. The load is applied as uniformly as possible along the length with the ladder or gangway horizontal, the accommodation ladder suspended by its wires and supported by the winch. After a successful test without permanent deformation, the test load is marked as the maximum operational load.
Deck fittings, davits and the means of access to the deck (handholds, bulwark ladders, stanchions) are also examined at annual surveys.
What the rules say
- SOLAS regulation II-1/3-9.3 requires, for all ships, the means of embarkation and disembarkation to be inspected and maintained in suitable condition, and all supporting wires to be maintained as specified in regulation III/20.4. 3
- SOLAS regulation III/20.4 requires falls to be inspected periodically with special regard to areas passing through sheaves and renewed when necessary due to deterioration or at intervals of not more than 5 years, whichever is earlier. 4
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraphs 2.1 to 2.6 set the ISO construction standards for accommodation ladders, gangways and winches installed before and from 1 July 2026. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraph 3.4.1 requires the lowest platform to be not more than 600 mm above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition at the maximum design angle. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraph 3.7.1 says gangways should not be used at more than 30 degrees and accommodation ladders at more than 55 degrees from horizontal, unless designed and marked for it. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraphs 3.8.1 to 3.8.4 require a safety net where a person could fall, unless a rigid top railing at least 1,000 mm high with a side net mitigates the side-fall hazard. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraph 3.10 says crew rigging the ladder, gangway and safety net should wear life jackets and safety harnesses. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraphs 5.1.1.2 and 5.1.2.2 require, at every five-yearly survey, a static test of the accommodation ladder and gangway with the specified maximum working load, and paragraph 5.2.2 an operational test of the winch with the unloaded ladder. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1 paragraph 4.6 requires all inspections, maintenance and repairs to be recorded, including the dates of renewal of the supporting wires. 1
Flag and class notes
- Germany (ISM circular 02/2010) makes clear that paragraph 3 of SOLAS II-1/3-9 applies to all ships regardless of build or installation date, and that supporting wires must be changed when deteriorated or damaged, but at the latest after 5 years; for equipment installed before 2010 the 5-year period runs from the last wire change. 3
- ABS (Regulatory News 08/2026) summarises the revised circular and notes that acceptable alternatives to the anodic oxidation requirements of the updated standards should be agreed case by case with the flag. 2
- Steamship Mutual’s loss prevention bulletin recommends stencilling the date of wire renewal near the winch and setting a wire discard criterion in the SMS. 5
Key numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Lowest platform above waterline | Not more than 600 mm 1 |
| Maximum gangway angle | 30 degrees, unless designed and marked 1 |
| Maximum accommodation ladder angle | 55 degrees, unless designed and marked 1 |
| Embarkation deck height allowing alternatives | More than 20 m above the waterline 1 |
| Rigid top rail height replacing safety net for side falls | At least 1,000 mm 1 |
| Supporting wire renewal | When deteriorated, at most every 5 years 4 |
| Static load test | Every five-yearly survey, specified maximum working load 1 |
| Winch test on installation | At least 2 hoisting and lowering cycles 1 |
| New ISO standards apply to equipment installed | On or after 1 July 2026 1 |
What inspectors find
- Supporting wires with no record of renewal date, or older than 5 years. 3
- Corrosion at mild steel fittings on aluminium ladders and gangways, and bent stanchions. 1
- Safety net missing, or rotten from sunlight and chemicals. 1
- No marking plate showing angles and loads, or a maximum operational load not marked after a test at reduced load. 1
- Accommodation ladders rigged at an angle steeper than designed because the ship is light and the quay is low. 1
FAQ
Our ship was built in 2004. Does any of this apply?
Yes. SOLAS II-1/3-9.3 applies to all ships: inspect, maintain, and renew supporting wires at least every 5 years. The construction parts apply to ships built from 2010, and to new equipment installed on older ships from 1 July 2026 as far as reasonable and practicable.
What load is used for the five-yearly test if we do not know the design load?
A load nominated by the owner or operator, which then becomes the maximum operational load and is marked on the plate.
Is the accommodation ladder in a pilot combination arrangement covered here too?
Yes. The new pilot transfer performance standard (lesson 8) says the accommodation ladder in a combination arrangement is maintained and inspected under SOLAS II-1/3-9.3.
How often should the crew inspect the ladder?
At the intervals of SOLAS III/20.7.2 referred to in the guidelines, as set in your planned maintenance system and the maker’s manual, plus a visual check every time it is rigged.
Quiz6 questions
Sources
- 1
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1331/Rev.1, Revised guidelines for construction, installation, maintenance and inspection/survey of means of embarkation and disembarkation (28 August 2025), Annex, sections 1 to 5 (copy hosted by the Marshall Islands Registry). https://wpsso.register-iri.com/wp-content/uploads/MSC.1-Circ.1331-Rev.1.pdf
- 2
ABS Regulatory News No. 08/2026, Revised IMO guidelines for means of embarkation and disembarkation (July 2026). https://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/regulatory-news/2026/regulatory-news-revised-imo-guidelines-for-embarkation-and-disembarkation.pdf
- 3
German Flag (BG Verkehr), ISM Circular 02/2010, Construction, installation, maintenance and inspection/survey of means of embarkation and disembarkation (25 February 2010), quoting SOLAS regulation II-1/3-9 as adopted by MSC.256(84). https://www.deutsche-flagge.de/de/redaktion/dokumente/ism-rundschreiben/Circ2010_2_engl.pdf
- 4
SOLAS regulation III/20.4, maintenance of falls, as quoted in Steamship Mutual Risk Alert RA13, Gangway and accommodation ladder inspection and maintenance (March 2010). https://www.steamshipmutual.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/files/RA13GangwayAccomodationLadder.pdf
- 5
Steamship Mutual, Risk Alert RA13, Gangway and accommodation ladder inspection and maintenance (March 2010), record keeping and fall wires. https://www.steamshipmutual.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/files/RA13GangwayAccomodationLadder.pdf
Rules checked 20 October 2026. VSL Safety is not an approved training provider and doesn't issue certificates. These lessons don't replace STCW training, or the manufacturer's training and certification that service technicians need.
