The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety notice regarding the risk of serious injury from motion compensated gangways (MCG) within the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) or Renewable Energy Zones.
Recent incidents have highlighted the potential for, and in some instances, resulted in serious personal injury during the deployment and use of motion compensated gangways. These gangways are commonly used to provide access services to offshore installations, offshore wind farms, and offshore energy structures.
There is a risk of entrapment in, and shearing between, moving parts such as the fixed and telescopic sections of walkways or handrails. There is also a risk of falls from height as people could fall from the open end of the gangway during deployment or use.
Windfarm operators, installation duty holders, and vessel owners or operators using, planning to use, or operating motion compensated gangways must ensure that the system is safe and suitable for its intended purpose.
Manufacturers and suppliers of motion compensated gangways should have identified hazards and assessed risks during the design and operation of their systems.
As motion compensated gangways are designed to move whilst in use, suitable and sufficient risk assessments must be undertaken, addressing entrapment, falls from height, and other foreseeable risks. Risk reduction measures should follow the hierarchy of risk control.
Suitable audible and visible warnings should be provided in any gangway auto-retraction function so there is adequate time for users to find safety before the auto-retraction function activates.
Anyone using a motion compensated gangway should have received sufficient instruction and training in its use, including the normal operation of the system as well as what actions to take in an emergency or auto-retraction situation.
There should be suitable inspection and maintenance regimes in place to ensure motion compensated gangways are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
In summary, safety processes and systems should be in place to ensure the safe use of motion compensated gangways during deployment, retraction, and personnel transit to and from offshore installations and energy structures. Anyone involved with these gangways, should make sure to assess and mitigate the risks effectively.
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