International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) received the 2022 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award for conducting annually its ‘Pilot Ladder Safety Campaign’ with the objective of reporting pilots’ experiences of ladders and boarding equipment to the IMO and the wider shipping community. Other distinguished short-listed nominees of this category were: Inmarsat, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), Safetytech Accelerator and Seafarers Hospital Society.
Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Capt. Simon Pelletier, President, said:
"Our goal is to raise awareness of the daily dangers that pilots face all around the world. Pilots are the experts with local knowledge and experience to make pilotage effective. Importantly, IMPA members achieve an impressive record, but our experience says that the pilots’ remains hazardous."
The same format is repeated every year to allow a ready comparison between successive surveys. Last Pilot Ladder Safety campaign (2021) received 3,322 reports from pilots operating across the world, of which 13.43% found non-compliant. IMPA urges owners to ensure that the ladders onboard comply with agreed industry standards, SOLAS and ISO 799, and that crews are properly trained.