WAT/General/TBT-WAT-012

Pontoon and Floating Platform Safety

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Pontoons and floating platforms provide working surfaces over water for construction, inspection, and maintenance.
They are inherently unstable compared to fixed structures — movement increases fall and drowning risk.
Pontoons must be designed and inspected to carry the intended loads including personnel, tools, and materials.
Freeboard — the height of the deck above the waterline — must be maintained to prevent water overtopping.
Edge protection including guardrails and toeboards is required on all working edges of floating platforms.
Personal flotation devices must be worn by everyone on or accessing a pontoon at all times.
Mooring and anchoring systems must hold the pontoon securely against current, wind, and tidal forces.
Access gangways between the shore and the pontoon must accommodate tidal and water level changes.
Loading the pontoon unevenly or exceeding the design capacity causes listing, capsizing, or sinking.
Rescue equipment and a man overboard plan must be in place before the pontoon is occupied.

Drowning risk	Falling from an unstable floating platform into water is a constant and serious drowning hazard.
Capsize and sinking	Overloading or uneven loading can capsize or sink a pontoon, potentially drowning everyone on board.
Dynamic conditions	Tides, currents, and waves cause constant movement — workers must adapt to an unstable work surface.

Don't

DON'T board the pontoon without wearing a personal flotation device
DON'T overload the pontoon or stack materials unevenly on one side
DON'T use a pontoon without edge protection on all open working sides
DON'T access the pontoon via a gangway that does not accommodate water level changes
DON'T continue working on the pontoon during high winds, strong currents, or storms
DON'T jump between the pontoon and the shore — always use the gangway
DON'T secure the pontoon with inadequate moorings that cannot resist the conditions
DON'T allow more people on the pontoon than the design permits
DON'T leave the pontoon unmoored or unsecured when not in active use
DON'T work alone on a pontoon without someone on shore monitoring your safety

See also: Working Over Water | Personal Flotation Device (PFD) Use

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