This is how marine pilots go to work (found on Twitter, by Capt. Ed Enos)

Most pilot embarkations and disembarkations around the world, are still carried out using a traditional pilot ladder, consisting of wooden steps supported and secured by side ropes.

Tuesday, October 1st is the start date of the latest International Maritime Pilot Association's annual Safety Campaign.

Previous campaigns by the association have consistently shown results of pilot ladder deficiencies around the 20% mark.

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

Official Video by MAERSK:" In the past two years we have made boarding safer for maritime pilots on more than 100 ships."

Since 2022, there is a solution in Germany that helps pilots to report defects in pilot ladders or pilot transfer arrangements quickly and easily. The apps are available for Android & iOS.

Despite clear regulations and regular maintenance requirements, safety often falls by the wayside, as the current example of a bulk carrier vividly demonstrates.

A court sentenced a captain to a total of 30 months imprisonment: It had been proven beyond doubt that the side ropes had been manipulated to make a ship inspection more difficult or to prevent it.

The first trip of Captain Erik Dalege, the new President of EMPA - European Maritime Pilots' Association, is in Italy. In recent days, at the Rome offices, he met with the top management of Fedepiloti is Italian.

Another accident was reported on YouTube on Feb. 3rd 2020 by akif pradias. "This video shown how's hwalein pilot got accident while boarding the vessel, its teach us to be more carefully during pilot transfer..." We do not put videos of accidents on our website out of voyeurism. We would like to point out that the work of a pilot is always dangerous, especially when embarking and disembarking! These incidents should be a warning. It can hit anyone out of carelessness. Dear pilots, please...