PART 163—CONSTRUCTION Authority: 46 U.S.C. 3306, 3703, 5115; E.O. 12234, 45 FR 58801, 3 CFR, 1980 Comp., p. 277; DHS Delegation 00170.1, Revision No. 01.4. Source: CGFR 50-30, 16 FR 1086, Feb. 6, 1951, unless otherwise noted. Subpart 163.001 [Reserved] Subpart 163.002 [Reserved] Subpart 163.003—Pilot Ladder Source: CGD 74-140, 46 FR 63291, Dec. 31, 1981, unless otherwise noted. § 163.003-1 Scope. (a) This subpart contains standards and approval and production tests for a pilot ladder used on a merchant vessel to embark and disembark pilots and other persons when away from the dock. (b) The requirements in this subpart apply to a pilot ladder designed for use along a vertical portion of a vessel's hull. § 163.003-3 ASTM standard. The following standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is incorporated by reference into this subpart: ASTM D 1435-94, Standard Practice for Outdoor Weathering of Plastics. You may obtain this standard from the Society at 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. [USCG-1999-5151, 64 FR 67185, Dec. 1, 1999] § 163.003-7 Independent laboratory. The approval and production tests in this subpart must be conducted by or under the supervision of an independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard under subpart 159.010 of this chapter. § 163.003-9 Approval procedure. (a) General. (b) Approval testing. (c) Approval of alternatives. § 163.003-11 Materials. (a) Suspension members. 1/4 (b) Wooden parts. (c) Wood preservative. (d) Molded steps. (e) Metal parts. (f) Plastics. § 163.003-13 Construction. (a) General. (b) Suspension member. (1) Each suspension member must be continuous from the top of the ladder to the bottom and must not be painted or otherwise coated or covered. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section— (i) The top end of one suspension member on each side of the ladder must extend at least 3 m (10 ft.) beyond the top ladder step; and (ii) The top ends of the other suspension members must be just above the top step and must have an eye splice or thimble large enough to fit two passes of a suspension member. (3) The top end of each suspension member that does not have an eye splice or thimble must be served or treated to prevent fraying. (4) Each pair of suspension members must be clamped together both above and below each step. Marline seizing may not be used. (5) The clear space between the suspension members on one side of a ladder and those on the other side must be at least 400 mm (16 in.), but not more than 480 mm (19 in.). (6) The suspension members must not have fittings at the bottom of the ladder that can be used for attaching additional ladder sections. (c) Steps. (1) The four lowest steps must be molded steps and the rest of the steps must be either wooden or molded steps. (2) The top face of each step must have a rectangular surface that is at least 115 mm (4 1/2 1/8 (3) Each step at its thinnest point must be at least 25 mm (1 in.) thick and in determining this thickness, the depth of the grooves in the non-skid surface and the diameter of any hole extending from one side of the step to the other must not be counted. (4) Each step must be at least 480 mm (19 in.) long. (5) Each step must be designed so that it can be removed and replaced without unstringing the ladder. If special replacement steps are made to meet this requirement, the replacement steps must meet the requirements of this section. (6) If a step has grooves for its suspension members, the grooves must be in the sides of the steps. (7) The spacing from the top of one step to the top of the next step must be uniform and this spacing must be between 300 mm (12 in.) and 350 mm (13 3/4 (8) Each step must be a bright orange color, except that this color is not required for the non-skid surface. If a step is painted, it must be painted with a two-part epoxy paint intended for marine use, or a paint of equivalent durability. (9) The height of each device attached to the step for securing the suspension members must not be more than one-half the width of the step so that the step is not prevented from rolling if the ladder is caught between a pilot boat and the hull of the vessel. (10) Each replacement step must be either white or yellow instead of the orange color required under paragraph (c)(8) of this section, and must have the special marking required in § 163.003-25(b). (d) Spreaders. (1) Each spreader must be at least 1.8 m (70 in.) long. (2) The spreaders must be positioned at intervals of not more than 9 steps. (3) The lowest spreader on a ladder must be on the fifth step from the bottom. (e) Fasteners. (f) Workmanship. (g) Special arrangements for pilot hoists. [CGD 74-140, 46 FR 63291, Dec. 31, 1981, as amended by CGD 79-032, 49 FR 25456, June 21, 1984] § 163.003-15 Performance. (a) Each pilot ladder must be capable of being rolled up for storage. (b) Each ladder when rolled up must be able to unroll freely and hang vertically. (c) Each suspension member must be arranged so that, when the ladder is in use on a vessel, the suspension member cannot come in contact with the vessel's side. (d) Each step must be arranged so that it can bear on the side of the vessel when the ladder is in use. § 163.003-17 Strength. (a) Each pilot ladder must be designed to pass the approval tests in § 163.003-21. (b) [Reserved] § 163.003-21 Approval tests. (a) General. (b) Visual examination. (c) The following approval tests must be conducted: (1) Step flexibility test. 3/4 (2) Strength test #1. (3) Strength test #2. (4) Strength test #3. (5) Step friction test. (i) The standard step must have a surface of clean oak that meets S/163.003-11(b) and that is 115 mm (4 1/2 1/8 1/2 (ii) The standard step must be set in a level position. A metal block must be placed on one end of the step so that the block is in contact with the stepping surface. The metal block must weigh between 1.5 kg (3.3 lb.) and 3.0 kg (6.6 lb.) and must not be more than 100 mm (4 in.) wide by 135 mm (5 3/8 (iii) The end of the step that has the metal block on it must be slowly raised until the block starts to slide. The angle of the step in this position must be measured and recorded. The step and block must then be placed under water and the procedure repeated. (iv) The procedure in paragraph (c)(6)(iii) of this section must be repeated using a pilot ladder step in place of the standard step. (v) The ladder step must then be secured in a horizontal position with a block resting on its stepping surface. The block must be of a size similar to the one used in the previous tests and have the same shoe sole surface used in the previous tests. The block must be arranged to apply a vertical load of 40 kg (88 lb.) to the step. The block must be then moved back and forth in the same line from one end of the stepping surface to the other. This must be done for a total of 1,500 cycles. (vi) The step must again be tested as described in paragraph (c)(6)(iii) of this section, except that the initial position of the block must be on a part of the stepping surface that was subjected to the 1,500 cycles of rubbing. (vii) The angles at which the block starts to slide on a wet and dry ladder step when tested under paragraphs (c)(6)(iv) and (c)(6)(vi) of this section must be equal to or greater than the corresponding angles measured for the standard step when tested under paragraph (c)(6)(iii) of this section. § 163.003-25 Marking. (a) Each pilot ladder step manufactured under Coast Guard approval must be branded or otherwise permanently and legibly marked on the bottom with— (1) The name of the manufacturer; (2) The manufacturer's brand or model designation; (3) The lot number or date of manufacture; and (4) The Coast Guard approval number. (b) In addition to the markings required under paragraph (a) of this section each step sold as a replacement step must be branded or otherwise permanently and legibly marked with the words “REPLACEMENT STEP ONLY.” [CGD 74-140, 46 FR 63291, Dec. 31, 1981, as amended by CGD 79-032, 49 FR 25456, June 21, 1984] § 163.003-27 Production tests and examination. (a) General. (b) Test No. 1: Steps. (c) Test No. 2: Ladders. (d) Independent laboratory. (e) Visual examination. [CGD 74-140, 46 FR 63291, Dec. 31, 1981, as amended by USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58286, Sept. 29, 2014]