Cargo holds access arrangement - Merchant ships procedure and guidelines

Cargo holds access arrangement - Merchant ships procedure and guidelines

Hold access - New ships
Where the keel of a ship is laid or the ship is at a similar stage of construction, after 31 December 1988 the following standards of hold access should be provided:-

(i) The access shall be separate from the hatchway opening, and shall be by a stairway if possible.

(ii) A fixed ladder, or a line of fixed rungs, shall have no point where they fill a reverse slope.

(iii) The rungs of a fixed ladder shall be at least 300 mm wide, and so shaped or arranged that a person's foot cannot slip off the ends. Rungs shall be evenly spaced at intervals of not more than 300 mm and there shall be at least 150 mm clear space behind each rung.

(iv) There shall be space outside the stiles of at least 75 mm to allow a person to grip them.

(v) There shall be a space at least 760 mm wide for the user's body, except that at a hatchway this space may be reduced to a clear space of at least 600 mm by 600 mm.

(vi) Fixed vertical ladders should be provided with a safe intermediate landing platform at intervals of not more than 9 metres.

(vii) Where vertical ladders to lower decks are not in a direct line a safe intermediate landing shall be provided.

(viii) Intermediate landings shall be of adequate width and afford a secure footing and extend from beneath the foot of the upper ladder to the point of access to the lower ladder. They shall be provided with guard rails.

(ix) Fixed ladders and stairways giving access to holds shall be so placed as to minimise the risk of damage to them from cargo handling operations.

(x) Fixed ladders shall, if possible, be so placed or installed as to provide back support for a person using them; but hoops shall be fitted only where they can be protected from damage to them from cargo handlin operations.

Hold Access - Existing Ships

Where the keel of a ship was laid or the ship was at a similar stage of construction before 1 January 1989, at least the following standards of hol access should be provided:-

(i) Access should be provided by steps or ladder, except;

(a) at coamings; and
(b) where the provision of a ladder on a bulkhead or in a trunk hatchway is clearly not reasonably practicable.
In such cases ladder cleats or cups may be used.

(ii) All ladders between lower decks should be used in the same line as the ladder from the top deck, unless the position of the lower hatch or hatches prevent this.

(iii) Cleats or cups should be at least 250 mm wide and so constructed as t prevent a person's foot slipping off the side.

(iv) Each cleat, cup, step or rung of a ladder shall provide a foothold, including any space behind the ladder, at least 115 mm deep. Cargo should not be stowed as to produce this foothold.

(v) Ladders which are reached by cleats or cups on a coaming should not be recessed under the deck more than is reasonably necessary to kee the ladder clear of the hatchway.

(vi) Shaft tunnels should be equipped with adequate handholds and footholds on each side.

(vii) All cleats, cups, steps or rungs of ladders should provide adequate handholds.

Portable ladders

A portable ladder should only be used where no safer means of access is reasonably practicable. Portable ladders should be pitched between 60° and 75° from the horizontal, properly secured against slipping or shifting sideways and be so placed as to afford a clearance of at least 150 mm behind the rungs. Where practicable the ladder should extend to at least 1 metre above any upper landing place unless there are other suitable handholds.

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