UKMPA launches interactive guide to translate new SOLAS pilot‑transfer rules and prevent boarding refusals

The United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association (UKMPA) has published an interactive, highly visual guide designed to help the shipping community meet the revised SOLAS Chapter V, regulation 23 requirements for pilot transfer arrangements. According to the association, the online poster translates technical requirements into clickable diagrams showing compliant and non‑compliant pilot ladders and combination arrangements, and is intended to support masters, pilots, naval architects and port authorities in reducing risk and operational delays. “This is more than just a poster – it’s a life‑saving tool,” said Christopher Hoyle, chairman of UKMPA, in the statement accompanying the launch.

The timing of the resource underlines the scale of the operational challenge. Industry data shows roughly 100,000 vessel calls at UK ports each year — about one every five minutes — meaning pilot transfers occur continuously across the network and any shortfall in safe arrangements can ripple through national supply chains. UKMPA says the poster is tailored to support on‑board training, pre‑arrival checks and inspection routines that can prevent last‑minute boarding refusals and consequent delays.

The guidance follows regulatory action at the International Maritime Organization, where the Maritime Safety Committee adopted amended performance standards at MSC 110 in June 2025. The IMO summary records that the changes strengthen mandatory requirements for design, manufacture, installation, inspection, maintenance and marking of pilot transfer arrangements; they also ban mechanical pilot hoists and require adequate lighting. Crucially, the new standards require pilots to inform masters of non‑compliant arrangements and to refuse to use them until rectified, shifting greater immediate accountability onto vessel operators and crews.

The interactive poster itself is credited to UKMPA technical and committee members and translates the performance standards into practical visuals. It details specifications and best practice for pilot ladders, man‑ropes, spreaders, stanchions, securing arrangements, winch reels and maintenance regimes, and highlights inspection, marking and service‑life regimes that port inspectors and company safety managers will want to adopt. UKMPA recommends the tool for shipowners, classification societies, flag states and marine insurers as part of wider compliance, training and assurance programmes.

Accessibility has been a practical consideration: amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention require ships to provide internet access for seafarers, which the ILO has said was expected to enter into force by late 2024. That connectivity makes the UKMPA’s digital poster readily available at sea, enabling crews to consult the material during pre‑arrival checks or as part of on‑board familiarisation activities.

The risk is not theoretical. Safety investigations and occurrence briefs have recorded serious incidents where pilot ladder failures resulted in persons overboard and subsequent regulatory action, including Port State Control inspections and detentions. Such occurrences illustrate the immediate safety consequences and the operational and commercial impacts — ships can be delayed or detained until rectifications are completed and verified.

For associations and trade bodies serving members, the poster offers a practical tool to shape training modules, audit checklists and supplier‑management policies. UKMPA encourages early voluntary adoption ahead of the mandatory implementation dates — 1 January 2028 for newbuilds, 1 January 2029 at first survey for existing SOLAS ships, and 1 January 2030 for non‑SOLAS vessels — and the IMO has circulated guidance urging States to promote adoption. For executive teams responsible for fleet standards and port operations, the message is clear: visual, shared guidance combined with systemic training and inspection regimes can reduce safety risk, avoid costly delays and protect the integrity of the supply chain.