Overview
ISO 5489:2024 - Ships and marine technology - Embarkation ladders - is the fourth edition international standard that specifies design, material, construction, testing and marking requirements for ship embarkation ladders. It applies to merchant ships required by Chapter III of the 1974 SOLAS Convention to carry embarkation ladders and is intended to help flag administrations, shipowners and manufacturers meet SOLAS obligations. Unlike IMO instruments, ISO 5489:2024 includes requirements for prototype testing for approval to ensure ladder performance and safety.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope & applicability: Embarkation ladders for safely transferring passengers and crew to waterborne survival craft on the vertical hull.
- Materials
- Wooden parts: hardwood (ash, oak, beech, teak or equivalent) free from knots; varnish only where it does not hide grain or change friction.
- Side ropes: mildew-resistant manila (ISO 1181, Quality 1) or spun thermoset polyester with polypropylene core; minimum breaking strength 24 kN, diameter ~20–22 mm.
- Metals: corrosion-resistant fasteners; non-stainless ferrous parts coated per ISO 1461; stainless steel per ISO 15510 equivalent to grade “4401-316-00I”; aluminium typically 5254 alloy (ISO 209).
- Plastics: must retain ≥30% tensile strength and ≥80% impact strength after one-year outdoor weathering test (ISO 877-2 Method A).
- Construction
- Two side ropes per ladder; optional three-string ladders acceptable for small/medium ships.
- Continuous side ropes without knots/joints (except allowed splices); step fixtures and seizing to secure steps and prevent loosening.
- Specific requirements for rope terminations, hole/slot positioning in steps and prevention of fraying.
- Seizing and fittings: tarred marline or equivalent (min. breaking strength 800 N, min. diameter 4 mm), figure-of-eight with minimum seizing length 32 mm.
- Testing & inspection
- Prototype tests for approval (Clause 6.1) and ongoing product inspection (Clause 6.2).
- Production tests, inspections and maintenance requirements detailed (Clauses 9–10, Annex A & B).
Applications and Users
- Practical use: design, manufacture, approval and maintenance of embarkation ladders used for crew and passenger transfer to survival craft.
- Primary users: shipbuilders, ladder manufacturers, maritime equipment suppliers, flag state authorities, classification societies, port state control inspectors and ship operators focused on maritime safety and SOLAS compliance.
Related Standards
Normative references in ISO 5489:2024 include:
Keywords: ISO 5489, embarkation ladders, SOLAS, ships and marine technology, maritime safety, side ropes, prototype testing, ladder construction.
