Boat Safety Certification

[system 4-50]

This is an imaginary conversation between a Boat Owner (BO) and a Boat Safety Scheme representative (BSS). Could a suitable forum member indicate if it is broadly accurate?

01. BO: I have bought a boat with a 1 year old BSS certificate, so that guarantees the boat is safe and in good condition, right?

BSS: No. The BSC guarantees nothing, and is only concerned with safety not condition. For example, a boat that is partially sunk could theoretically pass a BSS test.

02. BO: Ok. Let’s step back a bit. I have bought a boat with a 1 year old BSS certificate, so that guarantees the boat is safe, right?

BSS: No. The BSC guarantees nothing.

03. BO: Ok, ok, the BSC is 1 year old and the boat may have been changed since the test so it only guarantees that the boat was safe on the day of the test, one year ago?

BSS: No. The BSC guarantees nothing, at any time. No BSC ever does.

04. BO: Then let’s try & pin it down more precisely. The BSC only guarantees that certain specific safety checks were complied with, on the day of the test? And of the many other safety issues that apply to canal boats, it says nothing at all?

05. BSS: No. The BSC guarantees nothing, at any time. The certificate only confirms that on the day of the test a BSS examiner believed that a number of tightly defined safety checks had been complied with. It does not even guarantee that the examiner was correct in that belief.

06. BO: So if the BSS does not guarantee the boat is safe, who does?

BSS: The entity providing the guarantee is the boat owner which in this case is now you.

07. BO: Me?

BSS: Yes. As the boat owner, you are responsible for keeping the boat in a safe state. If one of your passengers or a third party were adversely affected or hurt then they could go to Law for recompense from you unless you could show that you could took reasonable steps to keep the boat in a safe condition.

08. BO: But if I have a valid BSC, they could sue the BSS?

BSS: No. The BSS does not provide any guarantee and it does not make sense that they should. The BSS is an advisory body, not a responsibility-carrying authority.

09. BO. So why doesn’t the BSS test everything and then provide a guarantee?

BSS: If the BSS were to test everything, it would require a team of four for at least a week, and the boat would be left in a partly-dismantled state, and it would have to take out insurance to cover failures. And how often would the test need to be done? Yearly? Daily? The cost would be so large as to make boating unaffordable for the majority of boaters. And a guarantee is still not on.

The current test is a compromise, offering the best reduction of risk for the least cost.

10. BO: Ok, as the owner, if I have a valid BSC, then that shows I am keeping the boat in a safe state?

BSS: No. The task of keeping a boat in a safe state is much bigger than the items covered by the BSS test. For example, the BSS test does not check that the ballasting of the boat is sufficient to prevent the crew rolling the boat over in normal conditions and it does not test that the hull is strong enough to keep water out.

11. BO: This is tortuous but I’m not giving up. If, as the owner, I have a valid BSC, then that shows I am keeping the boat in a safe state in respect of those safety items addressed by the BSS test?

BSS: No. It only shows that on the day, you were advised by an expert that those checks appeared to be satisfactory. It is an advisory service, not an underwriting agency. It assists you in your responsibility for keeping the boat in a safe state.

If it happened to be that you were an unscrupulous person who took steps to deceive the examiner, the examiner would not carry any responsibility for failing to discover the fault.

12. BO: So what is the point of the BSS test?

BSS: The BSC is a simple indication that it appears that a vessel does not suffer from certain, easily testable, gross safety issues. The BSS test provides the evidence for that certificate. This certificate is of use to several parties:

1. The various waterways licensing authorities as a means of keeping boats that are clearly unsafe to others off their waterways.

2. The various waterways licensing authorities with a means of detecting boats whose owners have abandoned any idea of maintaining their boats in a safe-for-others state.

3. Boat owners who think they know how to maintain their boats safely but do not.

4. Boat owners with a very limited check that work being done on their behalf by professionals has been done correctly.

13. BO: So, if my boat is already safe, it does not provide me personally with any benefit?

BSS: That depends on what value you place on your personal safety. The BSS system gives you greater confidence that the boat next to you will not suddenly explode in the middle of the night, nor will its owner bang on your door asking for help with serious injuries.

14. BO: So all I have to do is get my boat in a fit state to pass the BSS test once every 4 years and that’s it as far as the BSS is concerned, yes?

BSS: No. The BSS is primarily about keeping you informed about some major aspects of what you need to know to keep your boat safe. The test is an important part of that process but not the principal part. This is why there are parts of the test that are advisory rather than mandatory.

15. BO: So If I wanted to be sure I could have a BSS test every year or even more frequently?

BSS: Yes, you could. It does not even need to be a test. You could ask a BSS examiner (for a fee) to do a safety review of your boat and this could include more aspects than those covered in the test. As before, this would not provide any guarantees but would help you in your task of keeping the boat safe.

Edited July 16, 2015 by system 4-50

[Alan de Enfield]

I'm probably not a 'suitable forum member' but you have pretty much summed up my understanding of the system.

 

I have just had a BSS on our 'new' boat and it passed with no problems or advisories, despite the fire extinguishers clearly (in big print) saying on them "Expiry Date 1st Jan 2010"

[MtB]

Surely the whole point of the BSS scheme is:

:

1) To provide employment for BSS examiners, and

2) So you can get a licence.

 

 

Am I missing something?

[Murflynn]

cynic !!

[Chop!]

Yes, you can safely say that. (but only on that day).

[MtB]

Not according to the OP...

[Bobbybass]

It's just the same as a car MOT...which is only 'on the day'.

 

The MOT is no guarantee that a car is roadworthy...indeed...you could get stopped the same day and prosecuted with no come- back against the tester.

[MtB]

It's just the same as a car MOT...which is only 'on the day'.

 

 

Did you actually read the op?

[Bobbybass]

 

 

Did you actually read the op?

 

Yes..what's your point..?...or have you missed it...?

[Alan Saunders]

To some extent I welcome the BSS to protect me from the possible hazards from an adjacent boat. In recent years the requirements have become more reasonable. We are no longer required to modify an older, private boat to the most recent, unreasonable standards.

 

The vehicle MOT test was introduced as a 'ten year test' and, believe me, many were 'death traps' back then. Now my car can fail for non-safety related problems, e.g. a minor crack in a number plate that can still easily be read. The BSS was originally introduced like the vehicle MOT test but it has now served its purpose and I doubt there are now any dangerous boats remaining on our waterways.

 

My boat has had no configuration change in the past 30 years but I still have to pay for an inspection every four years.This is totally unlike the MOT test that principally looked for dangerous deterioration of chassis, brakes etc. I guess some have installed new equipment, especially adding a solid fuel stove, without knowledge of the basic, sensible requirements but they are only going to kill themselves, not their neighbours.

 

There were many dangerous boats and vehicles, laws were enacted and our Civil Servants grasped the opportunity to expand their remit beyond the intention of the Law and thus expanded their departments and salaries to a level that no elected MP dare challenge.

 

Alan

[MtB]

 

Yes..what's your point..?...or have you missed it...?

 

The OP explains that BSS is not the same as an MOT test as you allege, and does not even guarantee 'on the day' safety as you allege. This was my point.

[David Schweizer]

Surely the whole point of the BSS scheme is:

:

1) To provide employment for BSS examiners, and

2) So you can get a licence.

 

 

Am I missing something?

 

Yes you are, but I guess you are really just playing Devil's Advocate.

 

The BSS does several things which help to ensure that within reason, the boat is safe to travel and sleep in. Admittedl;y it covers some things which may only be safe on the day, but it also covers certain instalation features which are calculated to minimise safety risk if the boat is used in a sensible manner, such as the location of gas equipment and heating appliances.

 

In twenty years. our boat has failed twice on minor issues. Once when the requirements for a fuel shut off valve were introduced, and I had to instal one; and once when a (very slight) drop in gas pressure was detected, this took a while to find but a tweak on one of the bullkhead gland nuts solved that one.

 

The BSS does not (and is not intended) to guarantee the condition of a boat but what it does do is satisfy the owner and any prospective owner that on the day it was considered to be safe, which is more than most people have on their house !!

[MtB]

The BSS falls into disrepute (in my opinion) were it goes beyond safety and enters the realm of the jobsworth.

 

My boat should have failed due to the absence of a label on something blindingly obvious. The examiner accepted my promise buy and fit such a label, but in the interim was my boat a floating deathtrap?

 

Answers on a postcard...

[Jerra]

 

The OP explains that BSS is not the same as an MOT test as you allege, and does not even guarantee 'on the day' safety as you allege. This was my point.

I am not sure an MOT even guarantees "on the day". I was once stopped by the police for a missing brake light. I was less than half a mile from picking up the car from its MOT. I told the cop this and he said all that proves is it was OK when they tested it. It has obviously failed since they tested.

 

Fortunately he was a reasonable man and had only stopped me to advise me it wasn't working.

[StephenA]

The BSS falls into disrepute (in my opinion) were it goes beyond safety and enters the realm of the jobsworth.

 

My boat should have failed due to the absence of a label on something blindingly obvious. The examiner accepted my promise buy and fit such a label, but in the interim was my boat a floating deathtrap?

 

Answers on a postcard...

 

 

We had fun with the fuel filler on our gunwale. BSS says that over spill must not be able to get into the boat (actually it would trickle onto the back deck where we could put sand on it and clean it up in a controlled and safe way) but must instead spill into the canal (Which of course is a pollution incident). We pointed out that putting a a permanent diverter on the gunwale would be a trip hazard so the BSS in forcing us to implement one "safety" measure would actually introduce another risk, which in our opinion was much bigger (having never had a spill from the fuel filler). So we made a magnetic attached diverter and a little notice.... subsequent inspectors didn't even flag it as an issue (even without the label there or access to the diverter).

 

But I think this was the same inspector who deemed that putting an earth wire to one end of the 2 inch cable which connected the BMS to the hull rather than to the BMS itself was a failure as it used the "chassis" (sic) of the boat as a power return.... oh and he also rated the wiring on the control panel for the bilge pump (via a relay) was "insufficient" for the current load of the pump when it only carried a few mA to switch the relay... Oh and the gas detector (which was near the gas fridge and cooker) had to be removed as the power feed for it was too close to the gas line... Total jobsworth, total arse.

 

Oh and don't get me started on plastic versus metal spill rails......

Edited July 17, 2015 by StephenA

[ditchcrawler]

The BSS falls into disrepute (in my opinion) were it goes beyond safety and enters the realm of the jobsworth.

 

My boat should have failed due to the absence of a label on something blindingly obvious. The examiner accepted my promise buy and fit such a label, but in the interim was my boat a floating deathtrap?

 

Answers on a postcard...

I have a lock on my fuel filler, when its locked it covers the word DIESEL that is cast into the filler plug. As I don't have another label adjacent to the filler it was technically a failure

[Phil Ambrose]

 

 

We had fun with the fuel filler on our gunwale. BSS says that over spill must not be able to get into the boat (actually it would trickle onto the back deck where we could put sand on it and clean it up in a controlled and safe way) but must instead spill into the canal (Which of course is a pollution incident). We pointed out that putting a a permanent diverter on the gunwale would be a trip hazard so the BSS in forcing us to implement one "safety" measure would actually introduce another risk, which in our opinion was much bigger (having never had a spill from the fuel filler). So we made a magnetic attached diverter and a little notice.... subsequent inspectors didn't even flag it as an issue (even without the label there or access to the diverter).

 

But I think this was the same inspector who deemed that putting an earth wire to one end of the 2 inch cable which connected the BMS to the hull rather than to the BMS itself was a failure as it used the "chassis" (sic) of the boat as a power return.... oh and he also rated the wiring on the control panel for the bilge pump (via a relay) was "insufficient" for the current load of the pump when it only carried a few mA to switch the relay... Oh and the gas detector (which was near the gas fridge and cooker) had to be removed as the power feed for it was too close to the gas line... Total jobsworth, total arse.

 

Oh and don't get me started on plastic versus metal spill rails......

Oh yes spill rails, had to change the spill rail on our previous boat, so went from plastic (which can burn) to rubber (which can........)

Phil

[MtB]

<snip>

 

Total jobsworth, total arse.

 

Oh and don't get me started on plastic versus metal spill rails......

 

 

Yes, that's exactly the sort of thing I mean. Fair enough, a gas leak is a problem, as are similar big risks.

 

But brass olives inside the fittings instead of copper is not a big risk. Nor is a plastic spill rail in my opinion. I'd be fascinated to see the stats for boaters killed or seriously injured by plastic spill rails, or brass olive in gas fittings, and all the trivia infesting the BSS regs now.

 

But its the regs themselves that are my gripe, not the jobsworthiness of the type of inspector you encountered. If the BSS regs cover just real life safety issues, the jobsworthy type of inspector would have nothing to support his jobsworthiness tendencies.

[StephenA]

But brass olives inside the fittings instead of copper is not a big risk. Nor is a plastic spill rail in my opinion. I'd be fascinated to see the stats for boaters killed or seriously injured by plastic spill rails, or brass olive in gas fittings, and all the trivia infesting the BSS regs now.

 

But its the regs themselves that are my gripe, not the jobsworthiness of the type of inspector you encountered. If the BSS regs cover just real life safety issues, the jobsworthy type of inspector would have nothing to support his jobsworthiness tendencies.

 

I think its a combination of the two. If the regs covered the real life safety issues and got rid of the crap that surrounds it then I suspect there would be less of the jobsworths... Do they have quotas to hit? i.e. are they expected to raise X% of failure notices.

 

The plastic spill rail fiasco was a prime example where the BSS went totally wrong in my opinion, and as far as getting any figures from the BSS office on accident stats on which they based their decisions, or pre and post BSS incident rates.....good luck.....

Edited July 18, 2015 by StephenA

[MtB]

 

 

The plastic spill rail fiasco was a prime example where the BSS went totally wrong in my opinion, and as far as getting any figures from the BSS office on accident stats on which they based their decisions, or pre and post BSS incident rates.....good luck.....

 

 

My point there was that there probably aren't any stats - because I suspect these are imagined risks which have never resulted in the death or serious injury of any boater.

 

There may have been isolated incidents out there in the wider world (where there are hundreds of millions of diesel engines, so the risk multiplies up proportionally) where ruptured plastic spill rails added fuel to a fire leading to injury or death, but I bet it has never happened on an inland waterways craft.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[Geoff Taylor]

The BSS examination done by a competent no bull inspector is fine and covers some but not all things that would save ones life. Safety regarding battery banks, gas leakages, extinguishers, 240v electrics and ventilation are worth keeping right in accordance with the scheme.

 

Where it all seems to go wrong is that the two most likely things that can and will kill you are not part of the BSS, this being fire and carbon monoxide poisoning, why ?, the BSS does not make it a requirement to fit a working smoke or CO alarm or is able to fail a solid fuel stove with a bad door/flue seal or cracked glass.

 

I know that the majority of people would never not make sure that they were safe but there are a small minority that would not comply unless it was written into the BSS rules.

 

I am qualified to inspect cranes and lifting equipment and like the BSS, MOT test and other similar tests simply prove that they are capable of passing on the day and in theory can be maintained to that standard until the next test is due.

[ditchcrawler]

The BSS examination done by a competent no bull inspector is fine and covers some but not all things that would save ones life. Safety regarding battery banks, gas leakages, extinguishers, 240v electrics and ventilation are worth keeping right in accordance with the scheme.

 

Where it all seems to go wrong is that the two most likely things that can and will kill you are not part of the BSS, this being fire and carbon monoxide poisoning, why ?, the BSS does not make it a requirement to fit a working smoke or CO alarm or is able to fail a solid fuel stove with a bad door/flue seal or cracked glass.

 

I know that the majority of people would never not make sure that they were safe but there are a small minority that would not comply unless it was written into the BSS rules.

 

I am qualified to inspect cranes and lifting equipment and like the BSS, MOT test and other similar tests simply prove that they are capable of passing on the day and in theory can be maintained to that standard until the next test is due.

I think you summed it up in your last paragraph when you said it was only safe when you tested it. The person who uses s fire with a cracked door of chimney is not going to repair it until the BSS fails it so testing it does nothing to improve the safety to that type of boater just like the one who borrows his mates fire extinguisher for the examination or leaves his petrol genny and tank behind the hedge. Their boats are just as bad no mater how many things you check.

[DustyDave]

Having just had my bss done I was a little stunned to read up on what it really means. I thought it was for my safety but it seems not. From the description there is no explicit mention of boat owners:

 

The Boat Safety Scheme, or BSS, is a public safety initiative owned by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency. Its purpose is to help minimise the risk of boat fires, explosions, or pollution harming visitors to the inland waterways, the waterways' workforce and any other users.

 

Oh well, there goes another chunk of money.

 

Dave

[Murflynn]

Having just had my bss done I was a little stunned to read up on what it really means. I thought it was for my safety but it seems not. From the description there is no explicit mention of boat owners:

 

The Boat Safety Scheme, or BSS, is a public safety initiative owned by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency. Its purpose is to help minimise the risk of boat fires, explosions, or pollution harming visitors to the inland waterways, the waterways' workforce and any other users.

 

Oh well, there goes another chunk of money.

 

Dave

what does a little stunned look like? I am trying to imagine it.

 

why should it relate to boat owners specifically? It relates to anyone using the waterways, specifically in your case, anyone using the waterways who may be affected by the condition of your boat - obviously including you and your guests.

[Alan de Enfield]

- obviously including you and your guests.

 

If it did then ventilation, Co detectors etc etc would be mandatory - it doesn't so they aren't.