Opinion

A few words about pilot safety and Merry Christmas


by Frank Diegel - published on 23 December 2021 204 -

photo by harbourpilot.es

Things are moving

Pilot safety is always close to our hearts at Marine-Pilots.com. The job of pilots is more dangerous than many others, as they are always exposed to all the elements of this world at all times, while ensuring the safe passage of ships. My personal impression is that a lot has changed in terms of safety in the last two years. Non-compliance with current legislation that directly affects the safety of pilots is now no longer tolerated by many stakeholders. Something is happening. And that is a good thing.

Knowledge protects lives

The rules for correctly rigging a pilot ladder may seem complicated, and often there is simply a lack of knowledge on how to do it properly. Ongoing education and training is important here. This applies not only to the persons responsible for ensuring that a pilot ladder is used in the correct condition and in accordance with the rules, but especially to the pilot himself.

If the pilot himself is not fully aware of the applicable rules, and cannot accurately judge for himself when the ladder arrangement does not comply with the regulations, then he cannot protect himself and his colleagues. He cannot educate others either. If the pilot knowingly or unknowingly accepts non-compliant ladders, then he is not doing his own safety in particular or the safety of all pilots any favours.

The pilot himself is his own worst enemy!


My thanks to the tireless enlighteners

Today I would like to thank in particular those people who unselfishly invest their private time again and again to make the pilot's environment safer. In doing so, you persistently focus on information and education. Again and again. Thank you for always giving your information, articles and videos to Marine-Pilots.com for dissemination to our community. Your work is worth sharing and seeing.

This is especially true for the initiators of the #DangerousLadders group on Facebook, but also for the website www.pilotladdersafety.com, which collects all the information and rules on pilot ladder safety and presents them clearly. But I would also like to thank the many others who are committed to greater safety. I don't want to mention individual names here today, because my list can only be incomplete. But I think you know which people I mean. Thank you all!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all followers of Marine-Pilots.com.

Thank you for your support, and for growing our great community again this year.


Christmas greetings
Frank
Editor's note:
Opinion pieces reflect the personal opinion of individual authors. They do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about a prevailing opinion in the respective editorial department. Opinion pieces might be deliberately formulated in a pronounced or even explicit tone and may contain biased arguments. They might be intended to polarise and stimulate discussion. In this, they deliberately differ from the factual articles you typically find on this platform, written to present facts and opinions in as balanced a manner as possible.
Maritime software and hardware development, digitalisation

Join the conversation...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Herman Broers Loodswezen Rotterdam - Rijnmond, Netherlands
on 24 December 2021, 08:17 UTC

Frank, your own contributions to the awareness aboput the profession and the safety of our colleagues cannot be forgotten as well. Keep up the good work. Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!
1

Read more...

Article The magnetic north pole migration - What a Pilot should know

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 22 February 2019

The Arctic magnetic pole does not move anymore. It runs, faster and faster. In recent years, even faster than expected. Therefore, geo-researchers have now had an unscheduled change to their world model and adjust their calculations, so that navigation with compass and other navigation aids such as a Pilot Plug, used by pilots around the world, continue to work.

0

Article The difficulty of finding marine pilot-specific information on the Internet

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 4 November 2019

Who is a pilot and how do I find information about this great job on the Internet?

2

Article Marine-Pilots.com celebrates its first anniversary these days!

by Frank Diegel - published on 26 October 2020

International Marine pilot platform for information and knowledge exchange an acute necessity.

3

Opinion Piloting, Autonomous Vessels, AI, and the coffee making machine

by Captain Ricardo Caballero "Themaritimepilot" - published on 15 June 2020

I am not a computer savvy. My knowledge in programming and robotics and those sort of things is nil. I get lost in the sea of social media and easily entangle myself in the web. All I have done for the last 25 years or so is to pilot ships through the Panama Canal. However, during the last couple of years I have done my best to catch up with technology, since it has enhanced our possibilities and improved safety in our field. But still, I have to admit that I am way behind the new guys in this important issue.

1

Video Pilot boat goes out, Pilot Boat comes in. The saltie Cape comes in. Busy Sunday in Duluth!

published on 3 May 2020

I decided to show the typical happenings when a saltwater freighter arrives Duluth. Most of the time they go to anchor and wait for the Elevator dock. The Pilot Boat brings out the Great Lakes Pilot to sail the ship into the port and to the dock. This vessel arrived early Sunday morning, went to anchor until mid afternoon. They are loading grain at the CHS Elevator in Superor.

0

Video Reshma Nilhofer at "Courageous Women | Maritime SheEO Conference 2022"

published on 28 November 2022

India's first and only female maritime pilot at "Courageous Women | Maritime SheEO Conference 2022"

1

Video Technique Maritime Pilots Use to Board Ships Moving on Polar Ice

published on 22 April 2025

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel and watch with us as ship pilots get onto and off moving vessels. Fluctus is a website and YouTube channel dedicated to sea geeks. Whenever you are curious or an incorrigible lover of this mysterious world, our videos are made for you ! We publish 3 videos a week on our YouTube channel and many more articles on our website. Feel free to subscribe to not miss any of our updates and visit our website to discover additional content. Don’t forget to follow...

0

Article Demands made by the Pacific Pilotage Authority on the shipping industry following the death of US Pilot Dennis Sherwood

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 27 March 2020

The Pacific Pilotage Authority says: "There is a common misunderstanding amongst vessel operators that vessels built prior to 2012 are exempt from some of the requirements for pilot transfer arrangements. This is incorrect...".

0

Video Pilot 22 WP

published on 27 February 2020

22m wavepiercing pilot boat

0

Video How GPS works? Trilateration explained

published on 4 July 2019

How GPS works? Trilateration explained

0