Mike Schuler June 1, 2023
A
Magistrates Court in Perth, Australia has convicted the Master and operator of
a Cyprus-flagged cargo ship following an accident involving a substandard pilot
ladder.
The case
was presented by Australia’s maritime safety regulator, the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority (AMSA).
AAL Dampier
Navigation Co Ltd, the company behind the ship, AAL Dampier, and
the ship’s Master were found guilty of breaching safety regulations that led to
the accident in August 2022.
The
incident occurred as the AAL Dampier was departing the Port of
Fremantle on August 24, 2022. A marine pilot, while in the process disembarking
the vessel, was injured after falling from a faulty pilot ladder. The ropes
snapped, causing him to fall about 7 meters onto the deck of the pilot boat.
The pilot
was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Following
the accident, AMSA officials and investigators boarded the ship for inspection.
They discovered and seized a segment of the ropes, which upon examination, were
found to be seriously defective and clearly unfit for purpose. The neglect of
proper storage and ineffectual inspection routines were identified as the probable
cause of the poor state of the rope.
AAL Dampier
Navigation acknowledged its failure to adhere to Marine Order 21 (Safety and
Emergency Arrangements) 2016. The company pled guilty to not having complied
with regulations for pilot transfer procedures. The court ordered the company
to pay a fine of $30,500.
The
vessel’s Master faced charges for not ensuring a safe disembarkation process
for the pilot, as mandated by Marine Order 21 (Safety and Emergency
Arrangements) 2016. Additionally, he was held accountable under the Navigation
Act 2012 for taking an unfit vessel to sea. He pled guilty to both counts and
was imposed a cumulative fine of $5,500.
Michael
Drake, AMSA Executive Director of Operations, said he was pleased with the
verdict and emphasized the importance of safety measures in the high-risk job
of marine pilots.
“AMSA is a
strict but just regulator. We will not waver in our commitment to avert risks
to human life, be it a pilot or a mariner,” said Drake.
The conviction serves as a stark reminder to all vessels and seafarers of their duty to uphold maritime safety standards
gcaptain.com
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