You must report any accident, incident or serious harm injury (legally defined as a “mishap”) to Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) as soon as practicable after it occurs. This page provides more information about accident reporting for recreational boaties.
Why should I report an accident?
When do I need to report an accident?
What’s the definition of an accident, incident or serious harm injury?
How do I report a maritime accident or incident?
What is done with the information from an accident report?
Where can I read more about real accidents?
Where can I find more safety information?
MNZ and the National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum have developed the national boating safety strategy with the help of boaties who took the trouble to report accidents. To improve safety, the strategy must be evidence based, and that evidence can only come from reports of actual accidents and incidents.
Boating Safety Strategy: an essential guide
A master or skipper must report any accident, incident, or serious harm injury under Section 31 of the Maritime Transport Act 1994. This applies to all New Zealand vessels, including recreational boats.
This is a legal obligation, and failing to report is an offence with a fine up to $5,000 for individuals and $30,000 for companies.
Maritime Transport Act [Legislation New Zealand: Acts]
You must report an accident “as soon as practicable”. This means as soon as you are able to do so after you have secured the safety of people, your boat, and the environment, and when you have an available means of communication.
Accidents include events such as any damage to a vessel that may affect its strength or seaworthiness, groundings, collisions, machinery failures and steering loss.
Incidents include a near collision or a near grounding.
Serious harm injuries (legally defined as mishaps) include, but are not limited to: death; amputation of a body part; burns; loss of consciousness; and any harm that causes a person to be hospitalised for a period of 48 hours or more.
In the case of a serious harm injury on board a vessel, there is a further legal requirement for reporting under section 25 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. In this case, there is an additional form that the boat owner must complete.
Minor injuries, such as a small cut or sprain, do not have to be reported to MNZ.
Full definitions of accidents as defined by the Maritime Transport Act
Health and Safety in Employment Act [Department of Labour]
Report a maritime accident or incident
Sometimes people are concerned that reporting an accident or incident to MNZ will result in prosecution. In exceptional circumstances, MNZ may use the information provided to support an investigation, however this is very rarely the case.
The real value of the accident reporting process and the resulting analysis is the development of more effective safety strategies and advice for skippers on how to avoid similar events in the future.
Boating Safety Strategy – outlines initiatives guiding all organisations involved in boating safety.
Investigation reports – recreational
Case studies and the lessons to be learnt
Contact the recreational boating team
Sign up for email safety messages
Lookout! – a quarterly print newsletter – view past copies
Subscribe to Lookout! (it is free) by emailing your details to: publications@maritimenz.govt.nz