200212 Walking The Plank

Walking The Plank
Report No. 200212

The Code of Practice for Safe Access to vessels is certainly not universally applied. Surely, the minimum requirements should be to have hand rails, a gangway net and a lifebuoy. Safe access continues to be a problem which I have frequently encountered and I often find none of these essentials in place. Accidents have occurred and have had to be investigated. So what does a lack of basic equipment mean in practice? Here perhaps is a good illustration of what NOT to do. Or is this acceptable for smaller craft where access to the shore is not possible by other means?

It's a lucky job there are no banana skins around, the second chap looks more interested in something ashore than looking where he is treading!