Shipowner, master convicted in Australia over vessel boarding mishap leading to serious injury

The Australiam government’s Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP), on behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), has successfully prosecuted a ship’s master and a shipping company following a serious accident involving a ship’s pilot on May 25, 2023.

On the said date, a pilot attempting to embark the Panama-flagged general cargo ship Boshi 58 was seriously injured when the pilot ladder he was on broke during the transfer.

Both Boshi 58’s master and the shipping company, Fu Ye Shipping, have pled guilty and were fined AU$5,300 (US$3,450) and AU$32,000 (US$20,830), respectively, for failing to ensure pilot transfer arrangements complied with the relevant Marine Order and the Navigation Act 2012.

During court proceedings, the CDPP established that the pilot ladder had not been checked regularly and had been improperly stored, leading to degradation to the extent that it became unsafe.

This is the second successful prosecution for the CDPP and AMSA on a pilot ladder failure that resulted in injury to the pilot. In June 2023, AAL Dampier Navigation was fined AU$30,500 (US$19,860) for a similar offence.

AMSA Executive Director Operations Michael Drake said these were preventable accidents that placed the lives of seafarers at significant and unacceptable risk.

He also highlighted common issues with pilot ladders including instances where they have fallen short of accommodation ladders when used in combination, unsafe use of shackles, and failure to regularly inspect, maintain, and store pilot ladders appropriately.

Last year, AMSA updated its marine notice on safe pilot transfer arrangements, which can be found here.