Truck & Railcar Access Gangways: What You Need to Know

So, what exactly is a gangway? Simply put, it’s a sturdy walkway or platform that makes it easy and safe to get from a loading or unloading platform to a tank truck, hopper truck, or railcar – whether it’s for loading, unloading, or maintenance.

The great thing about gangways is that they’re designed to adjust to different truck and railcar heights, making them incredibly versatile. Whether you’re setting up a brand-new loading rack or upgrading an existing one, gangways can be customized to fit your facility’s exact needs.

Different Types of Gangways: Which One is Right for You?

Gangways come in a variety of styles, each designed to suit different loading and unloading needs. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Telescoping Gangways – These have an extending section that adjusts for extra reach, making them ideal for applications where distances vary.
• Flat Ramp Gangways – Equipped with a non-slip surface, these provide a smooth and stable transition for safe access.
• Self-Leveling Tread Gangways – Designed to automatically adjust to different heights, these gangways ensure a secure footing no matter the loading position.
• Custom Gangways – Need something unique? Custom gangways can be designed to fit your exact specifications and site requirements.

No matter your setup, there’s a gangway that can make truck and railcar access safer and more efficient!

What is a Telescoping Extension Gangway?

A telescoping extension gangway is designed to make loading and unloading liquid railcars safer and easier – especially when dealing with different railcar widths.

Liquid railcars typically have handrails on top that can range from 5 to 8 feet wide, which means a standard gangway might not always line up perfectly. That’s where the telescoping feature comes in! The end of the gangway extends and retracts to close the gap, ensuring a seamless transition without making direct contact with the railcar.

Plus, it’s built to handle height differences, adjusting 15 degrees up or down to accommodate varying railcar heights. This flexibility helps create a secure and efficient access point for workers moving between a loading rack and the top of a railcar.

What is a Flat Ramp Gangway?

A flat ramp gangway is a simple, sturdy access solution designed for vehicles like hopper trucks, ISO containers, and hopper cars – which don’t have handrails or major height variations.

Unlike telescoping gangways, this type has a fixed-length ramp that lowers down to create a safe walking surface from a loading rack or platform to the top of the truck or railcar. Since these vehicles have a more consistent width, there’s no need for an extending section to bridge gaps.

The key to using a flat ramp gangway safely is proper vehicle positioning. Trucks and railcars must be parked correctly to ensure the gangway makes solid contact without leaving unsafe gaps. During the HAZOP and design phase, it’s important to consider methods for ensuring accurate truck spotting, such as guide markers or wheel chocks.

What is a Self-Leveling Tread Gangway?

A self-leveling tread gangway – also known as self-leveling stairs – is designed to provide safe, stable access to tank trucks of varying heights, typically ranging from 10 to 13 feet.

Unlike flat ramp gangways, this type functions more like a staircase, with treads that automatically stay level no matter the angle of the gangway. It can adjust 45 degrees above and 40 degrees below horizontal, ensuring a steady, secure walkway between a fixed platform or loading rack and the top of a tank truck.

This design makes it an ideal solution for facilities that handle different types of tank trucks, providing safe, reliable access across a range of heights.

Gangway Design Features

Here are the Gangway Design Features for S&S Technical:

• Spring Counter-Balance Assist: Manual gangway units are equipped with a spring counter-balance system to facilitate easy lifting.
• Built for Harsh Environments: Designed for durability and reliability in high-use and extreme conditions.
• Automatic Locking Mechanism: Locks in the upright position using a positive foot lock mechanism for added safety.
• Vehicle Protection: Fitted with rugged-quality bumpers at the bottom to prevent damage to vehicles.
• Variety of Sizes: Available in standard widths ranging from 20″ to 60″ to accommodate various applications.
• High Load Capacity: Rated for 500 lbs., allowing for emergency rescue efforts if necessary.
• Secure Handrails: Standard pipe handrails provide additional safety for truck and rail operators.
• Premium Materials: Uses stainless steel hardware and bronze oil-impregnated bushings at pivot

Gangway Safety Cages for Operator Fall Protection

A safety cage is utilized on the end of a telescoping extension gangway, a flat ramp gangway and a self-leveling tread gangway or referred to in the industry as self-leveling stairs, to provide fall protection to operators when working on tops of rail cars and trucks that can range from 10’ to 16’ above the ground. Working from these heights on top of a rail car or truck that can be covered with rain, snow, ice, spilled products, while positioning hoses, loading arms, carrying tools, obtaining samples is dangerous. A fall from the top of these elevated work surfaces could lead to an injury or even death. Safety cages are designed for purpose based on the application and type of truck or rail car and are made of various materials such as aluminum, steel, stainless steel and galvanized steel

Safety cages are considered Engineering Controls per the OSHA Hierarchy of Controls. If the potential hazard, in this case working over 6’ off of the ground at heights from 10’ to 16’ cannot be removed or eliminated, then a safety cage can be utilized to isolate people from the hazard. Safety cages are passive fall protection as they do not require any efforts from people to utilize them unlike PPE, which is the very last measure to take per the OSHA Hierarchy of Controls. PPE is an active form of fall protection as it requires people to put on a body harness and connect to a fixed point or connect to an overhead lifeline cable system or trolley beam. The tops of rail cars and trucks cannot be used as an anchor point to connect a harness as there are no engineered anchor points on rail cars and truck.

Track Mounted Gangways

Track mounted gangways are designed to slide left and right along the face of a platform or loading rack, providing versatile access to the tops of trucks and railcars. These gangways are particularly useful for applications where multiple hatches need to be opened, inspected, or filled. Additionally, they are essential for accessing coupled railcars, as the access points on top of railcars vary due to differences in railcar lengths and walkway placements.

By allowing lateral movement, track mounted gangways enable operators to align the gangway precisely with the railcar’s walkway access opening. This adjustability ensures safe and efficient access to the top of the railcar, minimizing risks associated with climbing and working at heights. The gangways provide a reliable solution for industries requiring frequent and flexible access to different types of railcars and trucks during loading and unloading operations.

Safe Access Solution for Mobile Transload Units

A customer operating a site top to top transfering products from railcars to trucks and required a safe means of accessing the tops of the vehicles to connect hoses. Given that the mobile transload unit was not always positioned in the same location and that the railcars featured varying handrail widths, a specialized access solution was needed.

To address these challenges, a platform with a telescoping extension gangway and a railcar safety cage was implemented along with a self-leveling tread access gangway for accessig the trucks. The telescoping extension gangway effectively closed the varying gap between the platform and the railcar, ensuring a secure walkway to the top of the car.

Additionally, the safety cage, equipped with 12” deep rails, elevated the handrail height to 42” to comply with OSHA regulations. As per DOT regulations, liquid railcars typically feature only 30” high handrails. Since railcars, or rolling stock as designated by OSHA, are considered elevated platforms, they must adhere to the same safety regulations that apply to fixed platforms and elevated work surfaces. The self-leveling tread access gangway allows access to varying height trucks and uses a 4’ x 6’ x 3-rail deep safety cage for fall protection.

This solution provided enhanced safety, compliance, and operational efficiency for workers accessing the tops of liquid railcars.

GREENLINE gangways from GREEN Access & Fall Protection

S&S Technical is an authorized representative for GREEN Access & Fall Protection. If you are specifying a particular GREENLINE model rather than truck and railcar access in general, see GREENLINE gangways for the model families, or access and fall protection for the full range of platforms, cages and lifelines.