Coast Guard issues safety warning about counterfeit pilot ladders

The US Coast Guard is strongly recommending that ship owners and operators thoroughly inspect pilot ladders to ensure vessels are outfitted with genuine SOLAS-approved equipment, following a discovery of counterfeit pilot ladders.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), as the UK Market Surveillance Authority for marine equipment, has been made aware of counterfeit ladders that the US Coast Guard discovered during a port state control examination at the Port of Baltimore.
Both agencies are urging ship owners to verify certification details: users should check for proper ISO approval numbers and ensure the specifications on the certificate match the actual ladder.
Counterfeit pilot ladders discovered in the US
Marine Inspectors from Sector Maryland-National Capital Region (NCR) discovered the counterfeit pilot ladders in Baltimore. The identification plate on the ladder (Figure 1) contained several errors, including referencing ISO 779-1 instead of the correct standard, ISO 799-1, and lacking the ISO 799-1 designation type. Additionally, while the serial number on the ladder matched the accompanying certificate, the number of steps and the length of the ladder did not align with the specifications listed on the certificate.

The plate and certificate indicated that the ladder was produced by “QINGDAO GOOD BROTHER MARINE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE Co. LTD.,” a company that manufactures SOLAS-approved pilot ladders. However, in March 2019, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority identified counterfeit pilot ladders falsely bearing this company’s name and SOLAS certification. An authentic example of a pilot ladder plate from QINGDAO GOOD BROTHER MARINE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE Co. LTD is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

