Subpart C
The employer is responsible and must not permit employees to board or leave a vessel until the applicable requirements of this subpart are met. Employers must confirm the means of access and related conditions comply before allowing boarding or leaving. See 1918.21.
No. The prohibition in 1918.21—that an employer shall not permit employees to board or leave a vessel until applicable requirements are met—does not apply to a barge or river towboat, because the text explicitly excepts those vessel types.
No. Suspended loads shall not be passed over the means of access while employees or others are on it. Where possible, the means of access should be located so suspended loads do not pass over it at all. See 1918.21(a).
Yes. The standard advises locating access so suspended loads do not pass over it if possible, but it only prohibits passing suspended loads over the means of access while employees or others are on it. So passing suspended loads above the access when it is unoccupied is not prohibited by 1918.21(a), though you should use safe rigging and other applicable load-handling rules.
You must provide substantial steps, properly secured and trimmed, with at least one substantial handrail 33 inches (0.84 m) in height between the top of the bulwark and the deck. See 1918.21(b).
The handrail must be 33 inches (0.84 m) in height. The standard specifies at least one substantial handrail of that height for the steps between the top of the bulwark and the deck. See 1918.21(b).
They must be strong and stable, fastened so they cannot shift or slip, and fitted so treads and risers are safe for footing (no loose, broken, or uneven treads). In short: use solid, well-attached steps with safe tread surfaces and at least one handrail. The requirement comes from 1918.21(b).
Yes. The means of access must be illuminated for its full length in accordance with 1918.92. See 1918.21(c).
The required average light intensity is five foot-candles (54 lux). 1918.92 sets this level and 1918.21(c) requires the means of access to be illuminated in accordance with that section.
The employer must not permit employees to board or leave until the applicable requirements—including illumination for the full length as required by 1918.21(c) and 1918.92—are restored. Ensure temporary lighting or other controls meet the required average light intensity of five foot-candles (54 lux) before permitting access.
No. 1918.21(b) requires at least one substantial handrail of 33 inches (0.84 m) in height; it does not mandate multiple handrails, though adding more can improve safety.
Yes. The standard says the vessel's means of access should be located so suspended loads do not pass over it if possible; this is the preferred practice to reduce the hazard to people using the access. See 1918.21(a).
An operator must not abandon controls while a load is suspended because leaving the controls can create an unsafe condition; the employer must ensure operators are physically able to complete lifts without unscheduled interruptions. If an operator becomes incapacitated, do not leave the controls; have procedures in place to safely secure or complete operations. See 1918.21(a) and OSHA's interpretation on crane operators leaving controls (Crane operator medical condition scenario) at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2013-09-13.
The employer must ensure steps are properly secured before permitting employees to board or leave. 1918.21(b) places responsibility on the employer to meet the requirements of the subpart before boarding occurs.
The rule references 1918.92, which requires an average light intensity of five foot-candles (54 lux) among other lighting requirements. Employers should measure illumination to ensure the average intensity along the access meets that level per 1918.21(c).
An employer cannot permit boarding until the applicable requirements of this subpart are met, regardless of who performs the work; therefore, the employer must verify that the gangway and related conditions comply before employees board. See 1918.21.
Yes, provided the temporary or portable lighting brings the means of access to the required illumination level and meets the criteria in 1918.92 (an average of five foot-candles/54 lux) for the full length of the access before allowing boarding, consistent with 1918.21(c).