STEP CHANGE FOR SAFETY GLOBAL SHARING SEP 2013 - PILOT LADDERS | Page 8

GLOBAL SHARING MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Pilot ladder ropes parted - Pilot fell overboard
As the pilot was climbing the pilot ladder, the side ropes suddenly parted from near the main deck, causing the ladder and pilot to fall from the height of five metres into the sea. Fortunately, the pilot was uninjured and managed to remain afloat with the aid of his personal flotation device (life vest). He was able to swim away from the ship, which was making five knots through the water, and was quickly recovered by the pilot boat. Once onboard the pilot boat, instructions were given to the ship to rig another pilot ladder. The pilot reboarded the ship and completed the berthing operation. An investigation by the local port state control officer (PSCO) found no certification or evidence of periodic inspection and maintenance of the ship’s pilot ladders. Repetitive rigging of the ladder at the same location and height had created a permanent weak spot on the ropes where the failure occurred. The crew was negligent in not visually inspecting the ladder before rigging and also failed to throw the mandatory lifebuoy (life ring) with line and light after the pilot had fallen in the sea. It is very important that such glaring omissions in ship operation and crew training (in this case, poor maintenance of pilot ladder and crew’s incorrect response to a man overboard emergency) are detected by ship’s command, managers, auditors, surveyors and inspectors and corrective actions are effectively implemented.

Pilot Ladder Failure – April 2013
During disembarkation of a 3695 DWT dry cargo vessel in ballast the ship’s pilot ladder failed as the pilot was climbing down to the waiting launch. Both ropes on the ladder parted simultaneously (refer to Photo 1) causing the pilot to fall approximately 2.0 metres to the deck of the launch. The pilot sustained injuries to his ankle which resulted in a considerable lost time accident. It could have been far more serious! There are no secondary means of safety on a pilot ladder. As such, pilot ladders fail to danger. Given a repeat of this failure on a larger vessel a pilot would fall a significant distance. Investigations show that there are many similar incidents around the world. Safety Flash 13-17 (13th May 2013) - A brochure explaining the SOLAS requirements may be downloaded from the International Marine Pilot’s Association http://www.impahq.org/downloads/pilot_transfer_arrangements_brochure.pdf

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Prior to using a Pilot ladder confirm with the vessel’s Master that the pilot ladder is safe to use and complies with International regulations.

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Pilots and deckhands should visually inspect a pilot ladder for any obvious defects prior to its use. Pilot ladders are made of natural fibre rope and wood. Such materials can be subject to degradation from chemicals and cargoes which may impair the strength of the ladder and make these unsafe. Pilots and launch crew should be aware of this as part of their vessel inspection.

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If there is any suspicion that the Pilot ladder is unsafe –

DO NOT USE.
A Shell Marine Contractors Safety Initiative Page |7

20 September 2013