This stage includes defining the balance between roles and responsibilities of the navigation authorities, hire operators and hirers in ensuring hirer safety.
The consultant’s report on Stage 1 Risk Review was received by the navigation authorities at the meeting of the BSS Management Committee on 19 December 2013. The period to the end of March 2014 was used to collect any initial and considered comments on the report from all organisations represented on the BSS committees.
A meeting of member navigation authorities of the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities (AINA) helped ascertain the response of the navigation authorities to the initial recommendations contained in the consultant’s report. The reactions to the initial recommendations were favourable. The key action points from this meeting can be viewed here and actions include the intention to revise the Hire Boat Code and implement adherence to it as a licensing condition for hire boat operators.
The ownership of taking forward the recommendations of the Hirer Safety Review including the revision of the Hire Boat Code was accepted by AINA.
In parallel to the activity through AINA Safety Interest Group, the BSS committees created a set of additional proposed requirements, some revised and some new, that need to be applied in addtion to the standard private boat requiremnts.