AMSA: How to ensure safe pilot transfer arrangements

Australian Maritime Safety Authority published a Marine Notice to remind shipowners, operators, masters, crews, recognised organisations, marine pilots and pilotage providers about their obligation to provide and ensure continued safe pilot transfer arrangements on ships.

In particular, since November 2017 several pilots’ lives were placed at risk, in multiple separate incidents where a man rope parted, or its securing point failed.

In addition, AMSA received several incident reports on safety issues related to pilot transfer arrangements.

As explained, whenever a pilot or other person embarks or disembarks from a ship by ladder, they entrust their safety to the pilot transfer arrangements provided by the ship and the pilot boat crew.

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SOLAS V/23 sets out the minimum standards for pilot transfer arrangements on ships on or after 1 July 2012.

SOLAS V/23.2.3 also states a pilot ladder shall be certified by the manufacturer as complying with SOLAS V/23 or “with an international standard acceptable to the Organization” and refers to ISO 799-1:2019 “Ships and marine technology – pilot ladders”. Compliance with this particular provision of SOLAS V/23 can be met when a manufacturer has certified the pilot ladder complies with either of the IMO or ISO standards, noting they are not identical.

Where a pilot ladder has been certified under the ISO standard, AMSA expects that the ladder is strength tested according to the standard. Where this test has not been conducted within 30 months, the ladder should not be used until the test is conducted, or the ladder is replaced.

Furthermore, when purchasing a pilot ladder, care should be exercised that the product supplied actually meets the above requirements – relying on the manufacturer’s documentation may not be sufficient in some cases. If in doubt, the ship’s Recognised Organisation should be requested to confirm that the ladder meets the minimum standards.

IMO Circular MSC.1/Circ.1428 illustrates the pilot transfer arrangements required by SOLAS V/23.

When using a combination pilot ladder arrangement, the pilot ladder and accommodation ladder are required to be secured to the ship’s side. A common means of securing both the pilot ladder and accommodation ladders is with magnetic pads.
Clear and efficient communication with the pilot boat master is essential to ensure the safety of the pilot transfer arrangements before a person uses the ladder. The pilot boat master is best positioned to judge correct height of the bottom of the ladder and identify any potential issues with the ladder or ropes once in place.
One common issue found is that the pilot ladder does not extend the required 1.5m past the accommodation platform when a combination arrangement is used.
The pilot ladder is normally secured at its thimble end with shackles. However, due to the varying freeboard at specific loading conditions, the pilot ladder cannot always be secured at full length by the thimble ends. Under such circumstances it must be secured at an intermediate length. That can only be done in a safe way by ensuring that the weight of the ladder is transferred from ladder’s side ropes to the approved strong point on deck directly.