Safe Boating: an essential guide
17 March 2010
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New maritime rules for lifejackets and marine communications have been proposed by the NPBSF in response to the ongoing number of fatalities in small recreational craft.
The first of the new rules, which will make it compulsory for people to wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device on all pleasure boats less than 6 metres long, being developed for ministerial consideration. A number of regional councils around the country have already included the rule in their draft bylaws, in anticipation of it being adopted.
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) Manager Recreational Boating, Jim Lott, says the new rule – proposed by the National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum (NPBSF), which is made up of MNZ and other water safety agencies – will go further than the current lifejacket rules. The current rules require skippers to carry enough lifejackets of the right size and type for everyone on board, but these have to be worn only if the skipper deems there is a heightened safety risk (for example in rough weather or crossing a bar).
“The proposed new rule would switch the focus of the current rule by making it compulsory for everyone on board to wear a lifejacket at all times, unless the skipper deems there to be a low risk if they are not being worn,” says Jim. “The new rule would only apply to pleasure craft under 6 metres, as this is the group that is over-represented in fatality and accident statistics.
“While the vast majority of boaties are very good and do comply with the requirement to carry lifejackets, the aim of the rule change is to take things a step further by getting people to put their lifejacket on and keep it on when they’re out on the water, unless it is safe to take it off – rather than wait for a reason to put it on. This is because the majority of recreational boating fatalities occur as a result of people unexpectedly ending up in the water – when it is often too late to put a lifejacket on,” says Jim.
Jim says the forum recommendations were made following a comprehensive review of boating safety, with the forum’s findings published in 2008. This review looked at all fatal pleasure boat accidents between 2000 and 2006 – a period in which 130 people died.
“The review found that the vast majority of these fatal accidents occurred in boats under 6 metres, usually through capsize or swamping. Of this number, about 80 lives would likely have been saved had the victims been wearing a lifejacket,” says Jim. Very few similar accidents occurred in boats over 6 metres.
“While the benefits of wearing a lifejacket on board a small craft are clear from the evidence in the review, it is equally clear from our accident research that there is a very real need to have an effective means of communication that will work in an emergency on any boat. This is why the forum has also recommended a rule change that would require all recreational boaties to carry communications equipment on board.
“The forum’s recommendation regarding carriage of communications equipment is complex, and a group has been appointed by the forum to come up with detailed proposals before a draft of the rule is prepared. A cost-benefit analysis would then be required prior to public consultation, so a new rule on carrying communications equipment is likely to be at least a year away,” says Jim.
In early September Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) formally recognised a number of national standards for commercial kayaking and canoeing. The recognition covered qualifications for guides and instructors and certification schemes for safety systems.
Recognition was extended to qualifications issued by the New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association and Skills Active, and to the certification schemes of OutdoorsMark and Qualmark. The Register of Outdoor Safety Auditors was recognised as a source of third-party scrutiny of in-house safety systems and instructor/guide competencies.
The qualifications and certification schemes are recognised as appropriate normative standards in MNZ guidelines for commercial kayaking and canoeing operations.
MNZ will be working with the qualification and certification bodies to promote, and measure uptake by commercial operations.
Pleasure Boat Safety Advisory Group Final Report - 1999 [PDF: 3.05Mb, 227 pages]
PBSAG report recommendations - 2008 [PDF: 96.9Kb, 3 pages]
Safety guidelines for commercial kayaking and canoeing operations - 2009 [PDF: 105.1Kb, 6 pages]