Why “ladder rigged” is not the same as “ladder safe”
Estimated read time: 65–80 minutes
Audience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate
Introduction – One of the deadliest routine tasks at sea
Pilot transfer is one of the most deceptively dangerous operations carried out on deck. It happens close to the waterline, often at night, frequently in swell, and usually under time pressure. The equipment involved looks simple — ropes, steps, spreaders, shackles — and that simplicity creates a false sense of security.
Every year, pilots and crew are killed or seriously injured during transfers that were believed to be compliant. In almost every case, the ladder was described as “rigged correctly” shortly before the accident.
The gap between regulatory compliance and operational safety is where pilot ladder fatalities occur.
What a pilot ladder is actually required to do
A pilot ladder is not just a means of access. It is a dynamic load-bearing system suspended from a moving ship and interacting with a moving launch. It must tolerate vertical motion, lateral swing, torsion, impact, and intermittent loading — often simultaneously.
Each step, side rope, spreader, and securing point forms part of a single failure chain. The ladder does not fail because one element is weak; it fails because one element behaves differently under load than assumed.
Compliance versus reality on deck
SOLAS-compliant ladders meet dimensional and construction standards. They do not guarantee correct rigging, correct securing, or correct interaction with the ship’s structure.
Common real-world deviations include:
- ladders secured to non-structural points
- incorrect knotting or lashings at the head
- combination ladders with incorrect angle or overlap
- manropes rigged without proper anchorage
- ladders allowed to rub against hull features
None of these look dramatic. All of them reduce safety margin.
Combination ladders: where most things go wrong
Combination arrangements introduce complexity at exactly the point where simplicity matters most. Load paths change as the pilot transitions between ladder types. If geometry is wrong, steps can lift, twist, or unload unexpectedly.
Crew often focus on getting the ladder “to the right height” and miss the more important question: how is load being transferred during movement?
🔻 Real-World Failure: Pilot Ladder Fatality on Board Amira Gloria
In October 2019, a marine pilot lost his life while attempting to board the bulk carrier Amira Gloria off the coast of Dunkirk. The vessel was underway at low speed, the transfer was planned, and the ladder had been rigged in advance.
During the climb, the pilot fell into the water and was fatally injured. Subsequent investigation found that the pilot ladder arrangement was non-compliant and unsafe, despite appearing acceptable to the crew at the time. Deficiencies included issues with securing arrangements and ladder condition that were not recognised as critical hazards before the transfer began.
What makes this case particularly important is that the ladder did not visibly fail. There was no dramatic breakage caught on camera. The system failed through loss of effective support during use, not through obvious collapse.
Investigators concluded that the risks had been normalised through repetition. The ladder had been rigged similarly before. Nothing had gone wrong previously. That familiarity masked the absence of proper structural securing and verification.
The lesson from Amira Gloria is stark:
A pilot ladder does not need to break to kill someone.
It only needs to behave differently under load once.
Human factors: why crews miss the danger
Pilot transfers are often treated as “pilot business”, not deck operations. This psychological distancing leads to weaker ownership, rushed rigging, and acceptance of marginal arrangements.
Experienced crews know that the pilot ladder is their responsibility, not the pilot’s. The ladder must be rigged as if the crew themselves were going to use it in darkness and swell — because functionally, that is exactly what is happening.
Knowledge to Carry Forward
Pilot ladder safety is not achieved by ticking compliance boxes. It is achieved by understanding load paths, movement, and consequences. A ladder that looks fine at rest can be lethal under motion. The difference between safe and fatal is often invisible until it is too late.
Competent deck officers assume that if a ladder can move, it will — and someone will be on it when it does.
Tags
On Deck, Pilot Transfer, Pilot Ladder, Combination Ladder, SOLAS, Human Factors, Deck Safety, Working Overside, Failure Modes