It is widely accepted that marine pilot transfers are one of the highest risk operations undertaken in the Maritime industry. The fundamentals of pilots boarding by ladder have remained unchanged for centuries, including in Fremantle where pilots have been boarding vessels in Gage Roads by pilot ladder since 1829. However, the size of vessels boarded has dramatically increased over time, leading to an increased risk of injury to the pilot should equipment fail during transfers.

In August of 2022, a Fremantle Pilot was involved in a serious incident involving the failure of a Pilot boarding arrangement. This resulted in AMSA successfully prosecuting the involved vessel Master and Owner. This incident, the subsequent investigation and the completion of dedicated workshops with key stakeholders, resulted in a complete overhaul of pilot boarding arrangements and pilot transfer processes in Fremantle.

Led by the Harbour Master’s Office, Fremantle Ports has introduced stringent, world leading pre-arrival vetting of pilot boarding arrangements and requirements that include:

• All Pilot ladders, manropes and associated equipment are to be used only for marine transfers (pilots and other personnel) and must not be used for any other operations onboard the vessel such as for draught readings or any maintenance work. All equipment is to be clearly marked as “For Marine Transfers Only”
• Maximum permitted age of pilot ladders for use when calling at the Port of Fremantle is 30 months commencing from the date of manufacture.
• Maximum permitted age of manropes used with pilot ladders is 12 months commencing from the date of manufacture.

Most ports within Australia have now adopted these pilot ladder and man-ropes age requirements into their individual port criteria.

The criteria developed through ARCSOPT (Association of Resource Companies, Ship Operators, Ports and Terminals) has also been endorsed by Ports Australia for wider industry acceptance.

With the heightened awareness of Pilot Ladder arrangements, Fremantle Pilots are required to report all non-conformances to the Harbour Masters Office, no matter how small the defect may seem. This sends a strong message to all masters, officers and crew that there is zero tolerance towards unsafe or incorrectly rigged pilot ladders for vessels visiting the port.

In addition to the changes in Pilot boarding arrangements, Fremantle Pilots has introduced standardised and improved personal protective equipment requirements for all pilots and enhanced boarding procedures.

With over 3000 pilot transfers per year, Fremantle Ports and Fremantle Pilots are working collaboratively to ensure every operation is completed safely. Since these changes have been introduced, it is pleasing that pilots have observed a significant improvement in the overall standard of pilot transfer arrangements for vessels visiting Fremantle.