Case Studies - Walkway Collapse at the Port of Ramsgate

The collapse of a pedestrian walkway at the Port of Ramsgate in September 1994 leading to the death of six people and seven serious injuries was one of the most serious onshore accidents in the recent history of the ferry industry.

Staff from HSL were requested to form part of the HSE team to investigate the cause of the accident. It was established that welds on a stub axle which connected one of the support feet to the walkway had failed even though the walkway had been in use for only four months.

The failure was caused by fatigue cracking, however the HSL team concluded that the real problem was a totally inadequate design. The designers had failed to understand how the walkway would behave in service and had seriously underestimated the stresses in the support bearings.

These conclusions led to the prosecution and conviction of the companies and authorities involved in the design, construction and installation of the walkway.

HSL experts gave technical evidence at the trial and faced extensive cross-examination from counsel for the defence. Models and graphics, prepared by HSL to illustrate the case, were widely complimented for their clarity and excellence.

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