New guidance published to help reduce pilot transfer fatalities

ICS along with the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) published the guide “Shipping Industry Guidance on Pilot Transfer Arrangements”, updating maritime pilot transfer safety procedures amid industry concerns about poorly rigged ladders causing severe injuries or fatalities.

Safe rigging for pilots

Seafarers should always check the condition of the ladder before it is rigged and ensure it is secured to the
ship. While this is done, seafarers should always take care of their own safety, wearing all appropriate PPE.

If seafarers are uncertain about any of the requirements, they should always ask their supervising officer
for advice.

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New guidance published to help reduce pilot transfer fatalities — Credit: IMPA

Management responsibilities

Shipping companies should ensure that:

All ladders are SOLAS compliant;
The inspection regime and records are adequate and maintained;
Replacement ladders are quickly and readily available on board; and
Seafarers involved receive the necessary training and have a full understanding of the requirements.

On board responsibilities

The Master and officers should:

Closely supervise the rigging of pilot ladders;
Closely observe the boarding and disembarkation of pilots from ladders, ensuring that SOLAS requirements are met;
Maintain a lee until the pilot vessel is well clear.

At all times during the rigging, use and de-rigging of any pilot transfer arrangements there should be no risk to the ship’s crew. Crew members should not normally be required to leave the protection of the ship’s safety rails or bulwarks. A life line or safety harness should be worn if there is any risk of falling

Combination embarkation platform arrangements

IMO Resolution A.1045(27) regarding ‘Pilot Transfer Arrangements’ makes provisions for a ‘trapdoor arrangement’ in combination ladders.

The resolution states the minimum size of the opening (750mm by 750mm) and that it should open upwards and be secured flat on the platform or against the rails. The pilot ladder should extend above the platform to the handrail and remain aligned against the ship’s side.

Commenting on the publication of the guide, Gregor Stevens, Senior Marine Advisor at ICS, stated that “the consensus among the maritime stakeholders we spoke to for this updated pilot transfer arrangements guide was that the ladders themselves are fine, the issue is how they are rigged and whether crew have undergone the right training to ensure the safest operating procedures are applied.”

Overall, speaking of pilot transfer arrangements, in an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Capt. John Pearn, Vice President of IMPA, highlighted that pilot transfer operations continue to be a challenging area for pilots.

In a letter to the IMO on 17 January 2020, Captain Simon Pelletier, Chairman of IMPA highlighted the case of Captain Dennis Sherwood, aged 64, who fell to his death while boarding the Maersk Kensington containership. He was using a combination arrangement of a pilot ladder and an accommodation ladder, the typical set-up when the ship’s point of access is more than nine metres from the water. Captain Sherwood had to climb through a trapdoor in the platform of the accommodation ladder. This requires a pilot to pull themself up through the trapdoor while twisting to get a secure footing on the platform. Captain Pelletier added that this trapdoor arrangement had long been considered unsafe by pilots.

EXPLORE MORE AT ICS’S GUIDE ON PILOT TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS