This incident report highlights several issues in the reporting culture of the company.
CHIRP is very surprised that the ship manager was not informed, so plans using the drawing provided by the pilot were not utilised to make the arrangements compliant. Â What is equally worrying is that the next master who would visit this port because it is on a liner service would have the same non-compliance matter raised against the vessel. From a pilot’s safety perspective, this deficiency is very unsafe, and the shipâs staff seems to have given scant regard to the deficiency.
Pilotage and port state authorities are generally considerate when genuine first mistakes are made, and advice is given to rectify the problem. They are not so receptive when the advice is completely ignored. Port States or individual port authorities are strongly encouraged to empower their pilots with âstop workâ authority, that is, to refuse to board vessels that have non-compliant or unsafe pilot ladders. They could make this clear to visiting vessels in their pre-arrival documentation.
