THE AUSTRALIAN Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released an occurrence brief detailing a pilot ladder failure during the boarding of a bulk carrier off Newcastle.
The incident occurred at roughly 1620 local time on 6 February, when a bulk carrier vessel arrived at the Newcastle pilot boarding ground from Rayong, Thailand, to board a harbour pilot for the inbound transit to Newcastle’s M4 berth.
The ATSB reported the ship’s crew prepared the pilot ladder on the port side, positioned 2 metres above the water line, with 2 manropes also rigged.
As the pilot started ascending the approximate 8 m climb from the pilot vessel to the ship’s main deck, the aft side rope of the pilot ladder parted at the sixteenth step.
The pilot reportedly managed to support their weight with their arms and quickly moved to the step above and then onto the main deck of the vessel without injury, then reporting the matter to the ship’s master, who was conning the vessel from the wheelhouse. The matter was also reported to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The ATSB remarked that at the time of receipt, the pilot ladder was stored in the ship’s forecastle store, in the immediate vicinity of several sealed drums containing corrosive chemicals intended for cargo hold cleaning operations.
Prior to the ladder’s first use at the port of Newcastle on 6 February, the ship’s crew reported they undertook a visual and limited physical examination of the ladder.
The ladder was reportedly supplied to the vessel on 1 February 2024, and was accompanied by a certificate indicating a manufacture date of 15 January 2024.
Following the incident, the damaged pilot ladder was sent to an independent testing facility in Brisbane, Queensland for failure analysis.
The ATSB reported that the investigation identified the following;
The vessel’s operators reportedly implemented a number of safety actions to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, including a fleet-wide safety bulletin, mandating the immediate use of ladders from a globally reputed manufacturer, and instructions on proper storage of pilot ladders to prevent their degradation.
The operators also made fleet-wide changes to the planned maintenance system mandating the inspection, maintenance, and storage of in-use and spare pilot ladders.
The ATSB includeds a safety message in its brief of the incident, explaining that vessel operators and crew should not assume that new and unused rope ladders will be free from damage.
“Although the surface of the rope may appear to be in satisfactory condition, natural fibre ropes can self-abrade from the inside”.
“Pilot ladders are typically manufactured from manila rope, which is a natural fibre. While natural fibre ropes have properties that make them ideal for use in many marine applications, they are also susceptible to damage and loss of strength from UV exposure, dirt and chemicals.
“Regular onboard inspections, comprising visual and physical examinations, are required to ensure that the ladders are stored and maintained in a suitable environment.”
The ATSB said that ideally rope ladders should be stored in a cool, dry and well-ventilated compartment, or if kept on the exposed deck area of ships, ranged at regular intervals to facilitate drying between uses.