Pilot transfer operation: A safer step aboard

Safe pilot transfer operations depend on both correct procedures and fit-for-purpose equipment. New SOLAS requirements entering into force in 2028 will introduce mandatory performance standards for pilot transfer arrangements, and some existing installations may require physical modifications. Ship operators should start a fleet-wide review of their arrangements now.

Successive safety campaigns by the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) provide a useful picture of the scale and nature of non-compliant pilot transfer arrangements. The 2026 campaign recorded 4,051 observations from pilots across 34 countries, with an overall non-compliance rate of 13%. While this represents a slight improvement from the previous year, IMPA reports no significant change to historic non-compliance trends.

More than half of the non-compliances concerned the pilot ladder itself, with access to the deck, safety equipment and combination arrangements also recurring areas of concern. Common defects included incorrectly rigged retrieval lines, ladders not secured to strong points and missing lifebuoys.

Port State control findings tell a similar story. In its August 2025 safety bulletin, the Tokyo MOU reported that deficiencies related to pilot transfer arrangements increased from 197 in 2020 to 523 in 2024, with associated detentions rising from one to 12. Recurring issues included failure to properly secure pilot and accommodation ladders to the ship’s side, inadequate securing of stanchions with locking pins, complacency regarding ladder maintenance, and a lack of clear identification and differentiation between pilot ladders and other types of ladders.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →