Text by Herman Broers, www.pilotladdersafety.com:
The following short clip appeared on TikTok recently, showing a non compliant trapdoor arrangement, and a pilot using it. From this short video, the dangers of this kind of arrangement are very clear.
The pilot ladder and the combination ladder are not secured to the hull.
Both are hanging free from the ship’s side
In case of swell, and a rolling ship this will result in a dangerous situation.
The pilot ladder does not extend 2 meters above the platform
As a result of all of this, the pilot has some difficulty transferring from the pilot ladder onto the platform.