Proposed Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) requirements for carbon monoxide alarms approved

Following a consultation, BSS Management Committee has decided that new BSS requirements for carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on boats will be introduced next April

Following the public consultation on proposed changes to the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) which took place this autumn, the BSS Management Committee has decided that new BSS Requirements for carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on boats will be introduced from next April.

The consultation received strong support for the changes, with 84% in favour of introducing a requirement for suitable working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.

All boats with accommodation spaces subject to the BSS will see mandatory checks introduced for suitable CO alarms in good condition and in appropriate locations. The requirements are designed to keep people on and around boats safe.

As well as protection from neighbouring boats, the CO alarms are also expected to prevent death or injury to boat owners from their own boat engines or appliances.

The alarms will warn people in the area about immediately dangerous levels of CO. They can also alert craft occupants to moderate levels of CO, which can be a long-term threat to health if left undetected.

Boat Safety Scheme Manager, Graham Watts said: “We want to thank all the contributors to the consultation. Your comments and views have been exceptionally valuable and have caused us to reflect a little longer before publishing the checks in order to ensure that the wording is entirely clear.”

The BSS will be publishing the new checks in detail in January/February 2019 on its website.

Boaters who are yet to be protected from the dangers of carbon monoxide, can take a look at a list of CO alarms recommended as suitable for boats by the manufacturers’ body on the BSS Stay Safe website here.

The BSS has produced a summary of the views expressed in the consultation and the BSS responses. The summary can be viewed on the BSS website here.

The mandatory new BSS Requirements will come into effect from 1 April 2019.

Click here for more information about staying safe from CO on boats.

Public consultation on Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) Requirements for carbon monoxide is launched

The Boat Safety Scheme public consultation on carbon monoxide opened on Friday 17 August and will run until Friday 9 November 2018.

The public safety initiative owned by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency aims to minimise the risk of boat fires, explosions, pollution and to prevent CO harming people.

The proposed mandatory new BSS Requirements will require boat owners to maintain their CO alarms in good condition and in suitable locations on all classes of boat with accommodation spaces.

Alarms can also serve to alert craft occupants to moderate levels of CO which can be a long-term threat to health if left undetected.

Carbon monoxide, a silent unseen killer, could affect boat owners and crews from sources of CO generated outside of the boat by others, such as the use of engines and appliances on nearby boats.

The BSS stakeholder and management committees described the potential risk posed to other boat users by carbon monoxide-rich engine emissions and used evidence from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) findings published in May 2017 following the ‘Love For Lydia’ fatal tragedy, in which a couple and their dog died after inhaling carbon monoxide whilst on their boat in the Norfolk Broads.

The BSS has launched the consultation to keep people in and around boats safe.

Those wanting to leave feedback on the consultation can do so using the form on the BSS website by 16.30 on Friday 9 November 2018. For more information on the proposals and to make comments click here.

Graham Watts, BSS manager said: “I encourage all who may be affected to consider the Scheme’s proposals and comment. It’s encouraging that so many boat owners already enjoy the protection of CO alarms, however if you haven’t yet got one and we have persuaded you to act now, please take a look at a list of CO alarms recommended as suitable for boats by the manufacturers’ body, here .

“Follow fitting instructions supplied with the alarm, but if these are difficult to meet fully on a boat, then best practice placement guidance can be found in the CO Safety on Boats leaflet. The online version is available here.”

The BSS will produce a summary of the views expressed in the consultation and the BSS responses, by Friday 21 December 2018 and will publish it on their website.

BSS stakeholders are hoping the mandatory new BSS Requirements will come into effect from January 2019 and will be implemented as BSS Checks on 1 April 2019.