As part of its Safety Flashes, IMCA focused on the hazards associated with steep stairs onboard, after an observation was raised on a member’s vessel. With this respect, IMCA reminded that there are diverse international standards and references for stairs.
For example, the US OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) defines that all ship stairs (or ship ladders) “between 60 and 90 degrees, be device-facing, so any ships ladder that is angled 60 degrees or steeper must be descended backing down”.
The ship operator then developed local guidance including:
- General cleaning and surface requirements for stairs;
- The correct use of the handrails;
- Attention to correct PPE – use of safety footwear;
- Adequate technique – “Trailing hand” for typical descent; and “Descending backwards” (face-in) for steep stairs.
