The Impacts of Personal Protective Measures on the Safety of Pilotage Operations During the COVID-19 Epidemic

Ship pilotage is vitally important for ship safety during sailing, anchoring, and berthing in ports. The measures taken during the COVID-19 epidemic have brought several impacts on pilotage safety. This study investigates the impact of the personal protective measures on the safety of pilotage operations during the COVID-19 epidemic. An online survey was conducted via Wechat and a total of 635 responses were received from maritime pilots, of which 627 were complete and valid. The results of the survey reveal that most of the maritime pilots that responded use more than one piece of personal protective equipment during pilotage. Further analyses based on ordered logistic regression analysis indicate that wearing goggles affects proper lookout during pilotage, while wearing protective clothing increases the physical exertion of pilots and the risk of heatstroke. The elder and higher ranked pilots are more likely to have higher mental or physical stress. The obtained findings suggest that the impact of the personal protective measures led to a deterioration of pilotage safety. A few countermeasures were put forward for improving pilotage safety during this crisis and future ones. This study provides ideas and reference for future studies on pilotage safety.