When “Walk to Work” Turns Dangerous: The Risks of Motion-Compensated Gangways

One of the most hazardous aspects of offshore work isn’t the job itself. It’s how workers get to the job site. Surrounded by water, offshore platforms and wind installations cannot be accessed by simply walking aboard—unless specialized systems are in place. Instead of relying on traditional offshore personnel transfer methods such as helicopter or Billy Pugh basket, motion-compensated gangways allow “walk to work” (W2W) access for maritime workers in a variety of roles.

However, these transfers can also go wrong.

In one recent incident, a technician stepped onto a motion-compensated gangway. As the sea shifted, the bridge and landing didn’t move together as intended. The worker lost his footing, went overboard, and had to be rescued. Although he escaped without suffering permanent harm, the incident was proof of how even “safer” personnel transfer means can pose hazards. A resulting investigation found multiple issues—escalating sea conditions, unclear stop-work authority, and a transfer that continued beyond safe operational limits.

No one should fall into the sea during a routine transfer. Yet serious injuries during W2W operations keep happening across offshore oil, gas, and wind.

Motion-Compensated Gangways: What They Are & How They Work

Motion-compensated gangways are engineered bridges designed to allow workers to walk onto their worksites: offshore platforms, liftboats, and wind installations. Mounted on service vessels, these systems utilize sensors and hydraulic or electric actuators that effectively “cancel out” vessel heave, pitch, and roll so the gangway stays steady against a fixed landing. In theory, crews can cross safely in higher sea states than with other methods.

One of the key advantages of motion-compensated gangways is their ability to allow for uninterrupted crew and cargo transfers. Deliveries, shift changes, and emergency evacuations can occur faster and without delays caused by batch transfers or waiting for transport by helicopter—not to mention making transfers possible in conditions that helicopters cannot fly in.

Motion-compensated gangways are designed to adjust to different platform heights and vessel types, making them a versatile option for a wide range of oil and gas and renewable energy operations offshore. Load monitoring, traffic lights for go/no-go conditions, auto-connect and auto-disconnect, and single-person operation are all featured on the newest motion-compensated gangway systems.

But the technology only works inside specified limits—and only when operators respect them.

Safety Alerts You Should Know About

For all their benefits, motion-compensated gangways present real risks if they are improperly designed or operated. In May 2024, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a safety bulletin after reviewing recent incidents, finding that serious harm “appears to be more common” with motion-compensated gangways than previously recognized.

The HSE highlighted entrapment and falls as two of the most serious risks associated with motion-compensated gangways. Workers may fall from heights at the open walkway end, or they may become entrapped or experience traumatic amputation from moving parts such as the telescopic sections of the walkway or handrail. Incidents of this kind place workers at risk of suffering life-changing injuries or death as a result of drowning, hypothermia, amputation, and crush injuries.

“Such risks are considered foreseeable due to the nature of the gangways compensating motions,” the HSE stated in its report. It suggested the following safety measures:

• Sufficient audible and visible alarms prior to auto-retraction of the gangway.
• Proper training and instruction for gangway operators and workers being transferred.
• Comprehensive inspection and maintenance plans to ensure gangways are in working order.

Unfortunately, motion-compensated gangway accidents continued to occur. In August 2025, HSE issued an urgent safety notice regarding gangways retracting without sufficient notice, putting workers at risk of serious injury or death. These incidents involved sudden retractions caused by power failures and control errors, as well as cases of gangways auto-retracting without an early warning or with a warning triggered at the same time as the retraction, giving workers little to no time to react and move to safety.

Where Things Go Wrong

Like any maritime accident, an incident involving a motion-compensated gangway will have one or more identifiable causes—typically failures on the part of a company or individual in charge as they attempt to push production at the expense of worker safety.

Motion-compensated gangway accidents happen when:

• Systems are operated outside of their safe limits. These systems cannot compensate for motion they were not designed to handle, putting gangways at risk of slamming into, dropping on, or sliding off intended landing points.
• Gangways auto-retract without warning. This may happen due to design flaws that result in an alarm triggering at the same time as retraction, manufacturing or maintenance faults that cause power failure, or control errors that lead to sudden retraction.

What Operators Should Do

Companies that own and operate vessels, turbines, platforms, and fabrication yards using motion-compensated gangways have a duty to make transfers safe every single time.

At a minimum, this includes:

• Pre-Use Inspections & Certification: Gangways should be checked before every shift and transfer, with regular third-party certifications to confirm they are in safe working order.
• Weather & Motion Thresholds: Manufacturers must establish clear limits for wave heights, wind speed, and vessel motions. If those limits are exceeded, operators must stop transfers immediately.
• Automatic Fail-Safe Functions: Systems should have reliable alarms, auto-disconnect features, and emergency stop controls to prevent sudden drops, slams, or uncontrolled movements.
• Competent Crew Oversight: Gangway operations must be supervised by properly trained personnel who can recognize unsafe conditions and halt transfers when necessary.
• Incident Reporting & Follow-Up: Any malfunction, near-miss, or injury must be recorded, investigated, and addressed in a timely manner to prevent repeat failures.

Without these basic safeguards in place, even the most sophisticated motion-compensated gangway systems can become unpredictable and dangerous—placing offshore crews at unnecessary risk.

Who’s Responsible When a Gangway Hurts Someone?

Short answer: the company that was in control, not the worker who did what they were told.

Vessel owners and operators must provide seaworthy vessels and safe equipment, including gangways configured and maintained per manufacturer specs and within validated limits. Project managers must not pressure crews to transfer in marginal weather or beyond the defined operating parameters. Manufacturers must design fail-safe logic, create clear interfaces, and define clear operating limits—not to mention systems that are free from manufacturing defects.

When companies ignore safety alerts, push gangways beyond their limits, or do anything that fails to protect workers on gangways, they should be held accountable.

If you or your family need answers after a gangway injury, we can help. Arnold & Itkin has stood with offshore crews after the worst incidents in the Gulf and beyond. We find the truth, expose unsafe practices, and fight for what workers need to rebuild—no matter what.

Call (888) 346-5024 to find out how our maritime injury lawyers can help you.