Boat Safety Scheme public consultation

Published: Thursday, 10 March 2022

THE Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) has organised a public consultation,

This relates to proposals within a clarified and improved set of BSS Examination Checking Procedures, that opened Monday 7th March and will run to Tuesday 31st May 2022:

www.boatsafetyscheme.org/ECPconsultation

The revisions

The revisions to the BSS Examination Checking Procedures are the product of many months of work by the BSS stakeholder committees, and the revisions are commended by the BSS Management Committee. They apply to checks used in the examination of privately owned and managed boats in private use as well as boats subject to the 2017 Hire Boat Requirements.

The main focus of this consultation is the introduction of two mandatory BSS Requirements by way of amendments to two existing BSS Checks.

Two increased BSS requirements

The two increased BSS Requirements are:

a) on boats with petrol propulsion engines, requiring evidence of recent servicing for any Wilderness Boats conversion of an Electrolux RM 212 refrigerator, BSS Check 8.2.2R

b) clarification that ferrous/cast iron fittings, joints and components used in LPG pipework are not compliant with BSS Check 7.8.3R.

20 relaxations

It is also proposed to introduce 20 relaxations by reducing some requirements or allowing additional compliance options. Details are provided in the consultation, with the BSS stating:

'The scheme considers that the improvements are both necessary and proportionate means of risk control that will have a very positive impact on the level of consistency of the application of BSS Checks by existing BSS Examiners and will significantly improve the uptake of knowledge and understanding of trainees going through the New Examiner entry training programme'.

Comments on the amendments are welcome from boat owners, the marine trade and all BSS stakeholders. The consultation is open until 16:30 on Tuesday 31 May 2022.

It is intended that a communications campaign will promote the final agreed changes in the summer.