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This navigation authority review was administered through the support committees of BSS. The hire trade and other stake holders are participated The aim: hirer safety delivered through an appropriate balance between the roles and responsibilities of the navigation authorities, hire operators and hirers themselves. |
The review influenced navigation authority licensing conditions, as well as BSS hire boat requirements, which were last reviewed in 2002.
The review process had four distinct stages:
Stage 1: risk-review NOTE: The stage 1 risk review is not a 'fundamental' review, it is looking at what has changed since the time a risk review was last carried out in 2007 in support of the MCA/BM/AINA Code for the Design, Construction and Operation of Hire Boats, Part 1: Power driven boats (Hire Boat Code).
This stage included the open forum events in November 2013 for hire boat operators to bring their own experiences to the process.
The consultant's report containing initial recommendations from the risk review and assessment stage of the navigation authorities general review of hirer safety is available to download from a link on the stage 1 page now.
Stage 2: navigation authority proposals developed
Stage 3: public consultation The consulation on the proposed revision of the BSS Hire Boat Requirements (04/09/2015 - 13/11/2015) has now closed
It is proposed to introduce the revised BSS requirements for hire boats were introduced from April 2017. There are two elements to the proposals; the introduction of six new BSS hire boat requirements; and, the adoption of the BSS private boats requirements as the basis of BSS requirements for hire boats, including:
- the formal adoption for hire boats of the 23 additional or wider scope BSS private boat requirements introduced in recent years, noting that all checks considered as advice only for private boats, will be required passes for hire boats.
- as well as the adoption of five clarifications or improvements of the existing BSS hire boat standards
The consultation information page is here » please note that the consultation has now closed and the agreed actions and outcomes have been published
There is likely to be another and seperate consultation on the implementation of the MCA/BM/AINA Hire Boat Code, please keep a watch out for announcements from participating navigation authorities and the BSS in due course.
Stage 4: implementation of changes arising from the HSR - it is likely to be in at least two stages. The intention is that the navigation authorities will implement the changes from a date that allows hire operators to make any adjustments required.