The rules for Australia ladders requires that the vertical ladder inside a cargo hold shall be 20 feet or less and be equipped with a horizontal platform when it is necessary for stevedores to enter holds to carry out loading or discharging operations. The duty officer should be specifically instructed to watch for any damage to these ladders so stevedores damage report can be made and claimed to Charterers. It is also a good idea to brief the crew during hold cleaning to report any damage to these ladders so repair can be arranged before stevedores refuse to work in the holds.
