Overview
ISO 799-2:2021 - Ships and marine technology - Pilot ladders - Part 2: Maintenance, use, survey, and inspection - provides requirements and practical recommendations for the maintenance, storage, inspection and use of pilot ladders. It supplements IMO requirements and ISO 799-1 by ensuring pilot ladders are kept in serviceable condition through defined inspections, manufacturer guidance, records, and testing.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Inspection intervals and responsibilities
- Pre- and post-use inspections by a deck officer before and after every use.
- Periodic inspections by a senior deck officer at three‑month intervals.
- Annual inspection/survey by a classification society surveyor or flag‑State representative.
- Manufacturer instructions
- Care and maintenance instructions must be supplied in accordance with ISO/IEC Guide 37 and include inspection checklists (examples in Annex A), storage guidance, repair limits, and pictorial examples of defects.
- Maintenance and repairs
- Replacement steps: Maximum of two replacement steps per ladder; they must not be adjacent and should be fitted by the manufacturer or an approved repair facility. A third replacement requires rebuilding and recertification.
- Unserviceable conditions: Specific materials or damage (e.g., exposed inner core in certain side ropes) require removal from service.
- Small repairs (e.g., seizings, step fixtures) allowed only if manufacturer provides materials and instructions.
- Strength testing and marking
- Ladder and step attachment strength test required at intervals not exceeding 30 months. Ladders must be stamped/tagged with test date and tester identity and a test certificate provided to the master.
- Records
- Masters must maintain records (serial/ID, manufacturer certificate, dates of service, inspection reports, repairs, replaced steps, and risk assessment records) and make them available to authorities.
- Storage and use
- Ladders must be derigged after each use and stored per manufacturer instructions. Use is limited to embarkation/disembarkation only; rigging/derigging are safety‑critical and require risk assessment and training.
Applications and users
ISO 799-2 is essential for:
- Ship operators, masters and deck officers responsible for pilot transfer arrangements
- Classification societies, flag State surveyors and port/port state control inspectors
- Ladder manufacturers and approved repair facilities
- Ship safety managers and crew training coordinators
Practical uses include developing shipboard maintenance procedures, onboard inspection checklists, training modules for rigging and inspection, and compliance evidence during surveys.
Related standards
- ISO 799-1:2019 - Pilot ladder design and specification
- ISO 9554:2019 - Fibre ropes - General specifications (referenced for rope inspection)
- ISO/IEC Guide 37 - Instructions for use of products by consumers
Keywords: ISO 799-2:2021, pilot ladders maintenance, pilot ladder inspection checklist, ship pilot ladders, pilot ladder storage, pilot ladder strength test, pilot ladder records.
Open preview (PDF)Ships and marine technology — Pilot ladders — Part 2: Maintenance, use, survey, and inspection
