The UK MAIB in its latest Safety Digest reports an incident where a pilot ladder failed on board a large rollon roll-off passenger vessel during a routine harbour pilot transfer evolution in sheltered calm seas. A pilot was on the ladder at the time but was uninjured. UK MAIB warns pilots to always inspect closely pilot ladders before using them to disembark a vessel.
The incident
The vessel, operating on a regular route, departed port with two pilots on board: a senior pilot and a pilot under training. As the vessel approached the pilotage departure point, the two pilots made their way to the port pilot door, where the crew had already rigged a pilot ladder.
The master had informed the harbour authority that the pilot ladder had been rigged in compliance with SOLAS requirements and the pilots had used it the previous day.
When the pilots arrived at the pilot door their launch manoeuvred into position and the senior pilot climbed onto the ladder. Once on the ladder, the senior pilot descended it, and transferred to the pilot launch 3.5m below, without incident. The trainee pilot then followed the senior pilot, but as he descended the ladder, the launch’s rubber fender made light contact with its bottom rungs.
This caused the side ropes at the top of the ladder to part. The trainee pilot fell a short distance to the deck of the launch and was grabbed by a crewman who prevented him falling overboard. The ladder fell into the sea.
Lessons Learned The pilot ladder was 18 months old and was permanently connected by shackles to the deck within a small pilot boarding well. When the remnants of side ropes were inspected after the accident, the ladder was found to have failed at the point the side ropes passed over the lip of the pilot door frame, and the core of the manila rope was found to have suffered severe degradation. The port pilot ladder was not used as often as the starboard ladder and, unlike the starboard pilot station, the ropes had not been protected from the door frame’s sharp edges. The trainee pilot was very lucky not to have been injured or to have fallen into the sea. The use of pilot ladders during pilot transfers is a hazardous activity, and there have been many similar incidents to this in the past. The key safety lessons identified in this and other cases include: 1. Ship’s crew must make every effort to ensure that pilot ladders and other boarding arrangements are well maintained and rigged safely; this is particularly important as pilots boarding a vessel cannot check this before stepping onto a ladder. 2. It is important to note that manila rope tends to wear from the inside through selfabrasion, therefore a rotten rope might appear to be in good condition externally. 3. Ship’s crew should also ensure that pilot ladders are rigged in accordance with SOLAS requirements and make every effort to protect the ladders’ load bearing side ropes from tight bends and sharp edges. 4. Pilots should always closely inspect pilot ladders and their securing arrangements before using them to disembark a vessel. Source : UK MAIB Safety Digest 2/2016