Introduction
The BSS has just completed a periodic review and here is your opportunity to comment on proposed changes to the BSS Examination Checking Procedures (2005) for privately owned, privately managed boats.
The proposals have been formulated with the help and guidance from examiner, boat owner and marine trade representatives on the BSS support committees.
The BSS Examination Checking Procedures set out the details of the BSS Examination that the BSS and its owners, the Navigation Authorities, require BSS Examiners to perform. These checking procedures are mirrored by the BSS Essential Guide for boat owners and others.
The proposals follow a review intended to make essential editorial changes to help BSS Examiners perform the checks more consistently. There are also some technical changes that will affect a very small number of boat owners and in general, these will help the BSS achieve a consistent risk management approach.
Most, around 60 per cent of the changes are tidying up the editorial content. The balance, can be summarised in this way:
- a new check for portable fuel tanks in engine spaces;
- five new advice checks concerning 230V a.c. systems;
- a new advice check for cracks and unintended gaps on solid fuel appliances;
- 15 existing checks amended to introduce an enhanced technical requirement;
- 63 changes have been made to the existing checks that reduce or slightly change the technical impact;
- two checks, one about marine fuel filters and the other about 230V a.c. shore connections are being removed.
A four-page overview summarising these key changes can be seen and downloaded on this link.
The changes were implemented on 1 January 2013 and our examiners have completed online and local workshop training exercises concerning the changes.
The comment period has now closed
The opportunity to make a comment about the proposed changes was offered in July 2012 and has now closed, but we are keeping open the pages covering the seven BSS Parts where changes are proposed, see the buttons on the left side of this page or in the header row of the table below.In total 50 comments were received, 37 from Nationwide Alliance of Boat Surveyors & Examiners (NABSE), the remaining 13 comments are broken down as follows: 3 from National Association of Boat Owner (NABO), 3 from the BSS Office , 2 from marine trade representatives, 2 from other unamed organisations, one from a boat owner, one from a surveyor and one from RBOA.
All the submitted comments can be seen here and the BSS response to those comments are available in this pdf file (186kb)
The opportunity to comment, while not a formal consultation was provided in a desire to be open and transparent and our commitment to supporting the use of boats and of boating. A formal consultation was not required because the BSS General Requirements are not being reviewed.
The phase to make the final reviews and then produce of new manuals and train examiners is now beginning.
A little more detail on the proposed changes
The impact of the proposals for change is considered to be neutral across the fleet of boats subject to the Scheme, but essential to support BSS Examiners apply the checks in a consistent manner and enhances boater and waterway safety.Six out of the seven 'all new' checks are 'advice' checks not linked to the issue of the BSS Certificate but are very important in helping guide boat owners to stay safe and protect BSS Examiners and others. The 'advice' checks mostly cover 230V a.c. systems.
There is also an added offer to boat owners to provide any shore lead, or other leads for examination. Owners will need to ensure any 230V a.c. systems are disconnected for the examination, by way of keeping the examiner safe.
You can review the proposals part by part
The proposal for change are segregated Part by Part in the links in the table below and also in the buttons running down the left side of this page.
The total number of checks in the 2005 Examination Checking Procedures (ECP) is 155, the total number of checks affected by the proposed changes is 86 (55%).
The total number of proposed changes is 180. The classification of the proposed ECP changes can be broken down by type as shown in this table:
Across the range of BSS checks this table breaks down the impact of the proposed changes. The header row of this table has links in it to each separate section, but Part 4 is not linked as there are no proposed changes to this section.
Once you have opened the pdf filesSuggested additions to the existing published checks are identified in red/underlined font. Deletions are in red/cross-through font. A rationale for each change is included in light blue font.
Please note that proposals are presented unaltered from the document provided to the BSS support committees, in the interest of transparency.
