# The Merchant Shipping (Means of Access) Regulations 1988, Regulation 7: Portable and Rope Ladders


The employer and the master shall ensure that:—
(a) a portable ladder is used for the purpose of access to the ship only where no safer means of access is reasonably practicable;
(b) a rope ladder is used only for the purpose of access between a ship with high freeboard and a ship with low freeboard or between a ship and a boat if no safer means of access is reasonably practicable;
(c) any rope ladder used for the purpose of access to a ship complies with the specifications contained in section 2.6 of the Code;
provided that the requirements of this regulation shall not affect the requirements of the Merchant Shipping (Pilot Ladders, and Hoists) Regulations 1987.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1637/regulation/7 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-means-of-access-regulations-1988/regulation-7
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.