Lifting, deck and access gearLesson 8 of 10
Pilot ladders and transfer arrangements – the rules now and from 2028
You will be able to check a pilot ladder and its rigging against today's rules and prepare the ship for the 2028 standard, including the 30 and 36 month limits.
16 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026
Start here
A pilot climbs a rope ladder up the vertical side of a moving ship, at night, in a swell, from a boat that rises and falls under them. If a side rope parts, a step turns, or the ladder is not secured to proper strong points, the fall is into the water or onto the pilot boat. Australia’s maritime safety authority notes that numerous incidents and fatalities involving seafarers and pilots have occurred worldwide.
The pilots’ own data show how common the problems are. In the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) 2026 safety campaign, 13% of 4,051 pilot transfers reported were non-compliant, pilot ladders were the leading source of non-compliance, and 35% of the non-compliant reports involved ladders not secured to strong points. IMO has responded with a new, mandatory performance standard that enters into force on 1 January 2028 and applies to every pilot ladder at sea, whatever its age.
Continue this lesson free
The rest of this lesson, the interactive Pre-arrival check at the pilot station, March 2028 and the quiz are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all 14 courses.
In this lesson
- Try it: Pre-arrival check at the pilot station, March 2028
- In plain words
- In detail
- What the rules say
- Flag and class notes
- Key numbers
- What inspectors find
- Questions people ask
- Quiz: 6 questions
Sources
- 1 IMO Resolution MSC.572(110), Amendments to chapters II-2 and V of SOLAS (adopted 26 June 2025, in force 1 January 2028), new regulation V/23 and Record of Equipment entries. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.572(110).pdf
- 2 IMO Resolution MSC.576(110), Performance standards for pilot transfer arrangements (adopted 26 June 2025, taking effect 1 January 2028), operative paragraph 8 and annex sections 3 to 6, 12 to 14 and 22 to 31. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.576(110).pdf
- 3 IMO Resolution A.1045(27), Pilot transfer arrangements (adopted 30 November 2011), Annex, section 2. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/AssemblyDocuments/A.1045(27).pdf
- 4 Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin Issue 23, Pilot transfer arrangements (March 2026), case studies and inspection data. https://www.amsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-03/Maritime-Safety-Bulletin-23-Pilot-transfer-arrangements_0.pdf
- 5 ABS, Amendments to SOLAS regulation V/23: pilot transfer arrangements, regulatory update page. https://ww2.eagle.org/en/rules-and-resources/regulatory-updates/SOLAS-Pilot-Transfer-Arrangements.html
- 6 International Maritime Pilots’ Association, Safety Campaign 2026 report (campaign data reported by participating pilots), executive summary. https://impahq.org/sites/default/files/content-files/2026%20IMPA%20Safety%20Campaign%20Report.pdf
Free awareness training. Al Safwan Marine is not an approved training provider, so no certificate is given, and these courses are not a qualification. They don't replace STCW training, manufacturer training or the certification technicians need for this work. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.
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This lesson is also published by our sister site vslsafety.com.
