A Day in the Life of a Port Pilot

Accident With Pilot Ladder

When a vessel was at anchorage, a diving boat was tied up aft of the vessel for some work. A pilot ladder was rigged to let people climb down to the diving boat. While a person was climbing down, the ladder gave way and suffered total rope failure at 6 different points within the top 4 to 5 meters. The person fell and landed on the work deck of the diving boat approximately 10 metres down from the ship’s poop deck.

2013.03.29 - Accident With Pilot Ladder Figure 1

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Revised Pilot Transfer Arrangements Requirements

Revised requirements covering some safety aspects of pilot transfer arrangements have been introduced through changes to SOLAS Regulation V/23 and apply to “equipment and arrangements for pilot transfer which are installed on or after 1 July 2012”. Although the revised requirements affect primarily new ships, i.e. ships constructed on or after 1 July 2012, or for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 July 2012, some of the requirements also apply to existing ships constructed before 1 July 2012.

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SOLAS Amendments Came into Force on July 1st 2012

The following amendments to the regulations annexed to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS 74) adopted by Resolutions MSC.308(88) and MSC.309(88) came into force a few days ago: Regulation 41 of Chapter II-1, Regulations 1 and 3 of Chapter II-2, Regulation 7 of Chapter II-2, Regulation 18 of Chapter V, Regulation 23 of Chapter V.

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