UKMPA: Maritime pilots are exposed to significant physical and mental strain
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- Category: Seguridad marítima
- Published on Thursday, 21 May 2026 20:57
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SAFETY4SEA
by Chris Hoyle
in Opinions
Chris Hoyle, Chairman of the UK Maritime Pilots’ Association (UKMPA), highlights the critical role maritime pilots play in supporting infrastructure, logistics, and trade. He calls for continued innovation and investment to maintain safety in demanding operational environments. Given the challenging nature of their work, ongoing vigilance and proactive reporting are essential to prevent accidents and protect both pilots and ships’ crews.
Hoyle also notes that the industry continues to encounter damaged ladders, counterfeit certifications, and improperly designed or secured stanchions and tripping lines. To address these issues, he stresses the importance of digital tools and closer collaboration with ship designers, operators, and managers, combined with a forward-looking safety mindset rather than a reactive approach.
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SAFETY4SEA:
What are industry’s key challenges regarding pilot transfer arrangements from your perspective?
Chris Hoyle: The principal challenge for pilot transfer arrangements (PTAs) lies in achieving consistent education, awareness, and compliance across all stakeholders. Pilots can only work with the equipment and procedures made available to them; when shipowners or managers cut corners, they introduce systemic risks with the potential for serious injury or loss of life. Non-compliant PTAs – most commonly worn or poorly maintained ladders and inadequate rigging arrangements – remain stubbornly persistent issues across the global fleet. Addressing these risks requires a co-ordinated effort to strengthen training, enforcement, and communication between crews, ship managers, and port authorities, ensuring safety is prioritised over expediency.
S4S: Over the last 5 years, and particularly since the IMO began revising SOLAS V/23, what common non-compliances regarding maritime pilotage and pilot transfer arrangements have you observed?
Chr.H.: Our members continue to see worn or damaged ladders, counterfeit certification, and improperly designed and secured stanchions and tripping lines. Data collected through the UKMPA Ladder Reporting App and the IMPA annual survey increasingly highlights weaknesses in the structural integrity and securing of ladders, issues that are often only noticed after incidents occur. While awareness of these compliance gaps is improving, ongoing vigilance and proactive reporting remain essential to prevent accidents and protect the safety of pilots and ships’ crew.
S4S: Training guidance highlights the need for pilots to evaluate conditions, identify unsafe setups, and refuse transfers. How well prepared are UK pilots today in these areas?
Chr.H.: UK pilots are highly trained and experienced, and refusing to board an unsafe vessel is a recognised and well-established right under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). At UKMPA, we have developed the Ladder Reporting App, which allows pilots to report safety concerns immediately to Competent Harbour Authorities, the MCA, and the MAIB. This system empowers pilots to make informed decisions, strengthens compliance monitoring, and creates a feedback loop that helps prevent repeat issues at other ports and for other pilots. The UKMPA is a global leader in pilot safety, promoting safe procedures, personal protective equipment, policy development, and best practice through the Embarkation & Disembarkation of Pilots Code of Safe Practice, which sets the benchmark for pilot transfer safety worldwide. These efforts are supported by collaboration with other professional associations, including the International Maritime Pilots Association (IMPA), the European Maritime Pilots Association (EMPA), the British Tug Owners Association (BTA), UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG) and national and international harbour masters and ports associations, ensuring that knowledge and best practice are shared across the industry.
S4S: What are UKMPA’s top priorities to address pilot transfer safety over the next three years, particularly in the run-up to the 2028 SOLAS enforcement deadline?
Chr.H.: Our priorities are:
- Ensuring the safety of pilots, pilot boat crews, and ship crews during every pilot transfer arrangement (PTA).
- Encouraging early adoption of SOLAS V/23 requirements; there is no reason to wait until the enforcement deadline.
- Educating the global maritime community—from pilots and ship crews to harbour authorities, naval architects, ship managers, insurers, and P&I clubs—on compliance and best practice.
By focusing on these areas, we aim to reduce incidents, protect lives, and streamline port operations, ensuring that safety is embedded across every stage of the transfer process.
S4S: You have recently launched an interactive poster to support new SOLAS V/23 Pilot Transfer Compliance Regulation. Could you explain how its interactive, visual format goes beyond traditional training materials?
Chr.H.: With mandatory internet access now required on ships, the poster provides a highly interactive learning tool. Users can explore detailed visual examples of compliant versus non-compliant PTAs without needing to cross-reference ISO 799 standards or other technical documents. Unlike a static poster, the interactive format allows for layered detail, scenario-based exploration, and engagement across multiple user groups, including ship crews, ship management, and port authorities. The interactive poster transforms a regulatory requirement into a practical, accessible training resource that enhances understanding and supports real-world compliance. By making complex requirements easier to visualise, it complements traditional training and helps embed best practice throughout the industry.
S4S: How may technology and digitization – such as online training tools, digital reporting systems, or even emerging innovations – affect pilotage safety?
Chr.H.: Digitisation is transforming knowledge transfer in maritime operations. Tools such as the UKMPA Ladder Reporting App enable real-time communication between ship and shore, allowing safety data to be shared instantly. Improved connectivity also facilitates the dissemination of interactive posters and online training platforms. Emerging technologies, including digital simulations and predictive analytics, have the potential to anticipate risks before they materialise, enhancing training, reducing incidents, and improving overall pilotage safety. UKMPA has already received numerous approaches from online training providers seeking to integrate our content, highlighting the growing demand for innovative approaches to pilot training and education.
S4S: How important is collaboration with regulators, port authorities, and ship operators in driving compliance, and where do you see the biggest gaps today?
Chr.H.: Collaboration is critical. Maritime pilots are among the most experienced and stable professionals in port operations, and retaining their knowledge is essential for safe, efficient operations. The biggest gaps lie in targeted engagement. Too often, industry consultations are broad or unfocused, diluting their practical impact. Focused collaboration with those who design, operate, and manage ships ensures real-world improvements rather than theoretical guidance. At the same time, engagement fatigue must be avoided to keep initiatives effective and ensure sustained attention on safety priorities.
S4S: Do you believe the 2028 timeline for enforcement is too distant, given that unsafe transfers remain a present-day risk?
Chr.H.: Yes, the timeline is long, but it reflects the complexities of international adoption. That said, there is no reason not to adopt best practice early. Early compliance protects crews and pilots, reduces operational disruptions, and establishes a benchmark for continuous improvement. Safety should always be forward looking, not reactive.
S4S: If you had a wish list for regulators, operators, and authorities to improve pilotage safety, what would be at the very top?
Chr.H.: Decisive and early action. Proactive enforcement, early adoption of standards, and practical support for pilots – including investment in equipment, training, and monitoring systems –are essential. Early compliance reduces risk, protects lives, and demonstrates leadership in maritime safety.
S4S: How can the industry better support pilots in dealing with the physical demands and risks of transfers, particularly in adverse weather and high-traffic ports like those in the UK?
Chr.H.: Pilots are exposed to significant physical and mental strain. Hazards such as whole-body vibration, hull impact, and fatigue must be actively managed. Adequate recovery time, robust equipment standards, and operational support are all critical. UK ports lead in risk mitigation, but continued innovation and investment are needed to maintain safety in challenging operational environments. Maritime pilots are critical to national infrastructure, logistics, and trade, and protecting them safeguards the entire supply chain.
S4S: If you could change one thing across the industry from your perspective, what would it be and why?
Chr.H.: I would ensure that all ship operators and managers prioritise pilot transfer safety equally with commercial imperatives. Compliance and safety must never be optional; protecting lives should be inseparable from maintaining efficient port operations worldwide.
S4S: What message would you give to ship operators and crews calling at UK ports about their responsibilities in ensuring safe pilot transfer arrangements?
SAFETY $SEA
Chr.H.: Safety starts with you. Ensure ladders, stanchions, and PTAs meet standards before a pilot boards. Respect the pilot’s authority to refuse unsafe transfers. Early adoption of SOLAS V/23 standards protects crews, pilots, and your vessel while reducing delays and operational risk. It is important to remember that SOLAS regulations represent the minimum standard, not the gold standard. Operators and crews should aim for best practice in every transfer, taking proactive measures to reduce risk and support the safety of everyone involved in port operations.