Description: Linkspans and walkways are hybrid and generally complex items of port equipment that have been subject to a number of incidents in recent years. This urgently needed research tackles the development of common standards for the procurement, operation and maintenance of ship-to-shore linkspans and walkways within the UK and elsewhere. The research considered the needs of port-owners, operators, engineers and health and safety advisers so that all parties can benefit from the findings. Improvements are particularly looked for in the areas of safety, minimising failure that could lead to danger, operational efficiency, reliability, durability and whole-life economy. The book looks at the features, problems and types of incident associated with port link-spans and walkways. It then considers procurement and implementation, highlighting the need for an early decision about the procurement approach to be used and emphasising regulatory and health and safety issues. The core area of guidance concerns operation and maintenance. Safety in ports makes an important contribution towards greater safety and improved practices in the ports industry. As such it is essential reading for all port owners, ship and ferry operators, port engineers and maintenance engineers, linkspan and walkway manufacturers and operators, insurers and safety managers.

Keywords: rivers and waterways, coastal and marine, health and safety, transport infrastructure.

Contents: 1 Setting the scene: linkspans and walkways, 2 The regulatory framework, 3 Procurement and implementation, 4 Operation, 5 Maintenance, Appendices

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