Improving the safety of pilot transfer arrangements

Transport Canada is helping the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to revise the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulation V/23 and the associated instruments. Completing the work for these revisions is planned to end in 2024.

Background

To improve safety when pilots are embarking and disembarking, new resolution and amendments on pilot transfer arrangements are expected to come into force in January 2028.

The new resolution will be anchored in SOLAS Regulation 23. The new resolution will be mandatory, will replace Resolution A.1045(27) and will be consistent with the International Standard on Ships and Marine Technology – Pilot ladders (i.e. ISO 799).

Alignment with IMO standards will be maintained in Canada by the Navigation Safety Regulations 2020 (NSR 2020) and the annual edition of Notices to Mariners 24 published by the Canadian Coast Guard when the revisions are complete.

What’s changing?

The new proposed resolution:

• requires replacement of pilot ladders 30 months after either the date of manufacture or the date of entry into service (start date to be determined) and bans repairing or replacing steps or spreaders of pilot ladders
• requires vessels to carry at least one spare pilot ladder and one spare set of man-ropes
• increases the pilot ladder and associated instrument securing point breaking strength from 24 Kilo Newton (kN) to 48 kN
• increases the minimum diameter of pilot ladder side ropes from 18 mm to 20 mm
• includes new marking requirements for two-tone visual mark on a ship’s hull to indicate the 9 m vertical distance between the water surface and the ship’s point of access for vessels that are engaged on a voyage that will likely require the services of a licensed pilot
• includes new training, maintenance and inspection requirements
• requires pilot transfer arrangements to be inspected every year by the flag state or a delegated surveyor

We want to hear from you

Your opinions and feedback are important. To prepare for this work at the IMO, Transport Canada wants your input.

To participate and have your say:

• Please go to "register" at the top of the page or sign in.
• Participate in our discussion forum through the “Have your say” tab. The forum will be open until May 10, 2024.
• You can also submit your comments in a Word or PDF document through the “Submissions” tab. You can upload more than one document.
• Please feel free to contact the Navigation Safety and Radiocommunications group at tc.navradio.tc@tc.gc.ca for any questions.