Ship Ladder Safety Features: Common Risks in Ladder Usage

Ship personnel are exposed to various safety risks because the vessel is generally unstable on water, and most areas are wet. Ship owners and captains alike must therefore take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their crew and minimize risk. From ship ladder safety features to anti-slip products, owners and captains must take the time to check, install, and/or use products that will keep everyone onboard safe because under harsh weather conditions, these risks are magnified significantly.

Common risks on ships

The ship’s captain, crew, and other people on the ship are exposed to various risks while they are onboard. When the ship is a-sail, their risk exposure increases. Safety risks onboard a ship, however, aren’t limited to the presence of hazards like chemicals or machinery. Often, it’s the person’s negligence and/or actions that put them at risk.

Common safety risks on ships therefore are a mix of the presence of hazardous materials, challenging environments, and negligence or actions of people onboard. These include the following:

• Unauthorized or improper use of equipment
• Hazardous chemicals, if applicable
• Broken or damaged safety gear (helmet, goggles, gloves, etc.)
• Improper use or absence of safety gear
• Broken or faulty equipment, including access and crossover ladders
• Poor lighting and ventilation
• Working alone (you could get into an accident or get trapped/locked out without anyone noticing your absence for hours or even one full day)
• Among many others…

Ship ladder safety features

While risk exposure is inevitable in any job, employers and relevant personnel can take certain precautionary measures to minimize this exposure and ensure the safety of their employees, co-workers, and others. For ship owners and captains, this involves checking every piece of equipment their crew will be using, making sure these are compliant with applicable regulations, like those mandated by the OSHA. And for manufacturers of such equipment and accessories, they need to ensure as well that their products are OSHA-compliant. With ship ladders, for instance, they need to make sure the ladders are equipped or fitted with ship ladder safety features and components specific to OSHA standards.

Apart from ship ladders, Alaco’s line of roof access ladders, exterior ladders, and crossover ladders or platforms are manufactured following strict OSHA and ANSI standards.

Alaco Ladder ship ladders

Alaco Ladder’s commitment to delivering the best access ladders and accessories to their customers means their designs and manufacturing processes are OSHA-compliant. Alaco’s ship ladder safety features include the following:

• Rails
• Open risers
• Treads
• Steps that slope between 50 and 70 degrees horizontally
• Load capacities that are five times their intended loads (to make sure the ladder can support the user’s weight as well as materials they may be carrying going up or down the ladder)

It is worth mentioning, for specifications writers or specifiers and safety engineers, that in line with Alaco’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all users, they customize ship ladders with an alternative fall prevention system if the space is too narrow or small to accommodate regular handrails and guides. They can likewise adjust the distance between stairway landings and platforms to equal the width of the client’s stairs.

In a word, Alaco works tirelessly with clients to ensure they are getting the right ship ladder, equipped with ship ladder safety features, to minimize slip and fall accidents as well as ladder-related injuries.

Alaco Ladder Company is the trusted brand in quality ladders for various applications

For over 50 years, Alaco Ladder has been providing top-of-the-line ladders for commercial, residential, and industrial applications. General contractors, roofing contractors, architects, engineers, building managers, spec writers, and industrial plant managers and supervisors turn to Alaco Ladder Company for all their ladder needs. When it comes to ladder manufacturers, professionals turn to Alaco Ladder because they know their ladders are high-quality, made from sturdy and durable materials, and designed with exact precision. Alaco ladders are OSHA- and ANSI-compliant to ensure the user’s safety.

If you need the specifications for our line of ships ladders, you may visit this page.

Contact Alaco Ladder today for all your ship ladder requirements

Which areas on your ship do you require Alaco’s ladders? Please fill out the Contact Form here to leave us a message. You may also reach Alaco Ladder at (888) 310-7040 to discuss your requirements and safety requests.

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