It’s YOUR responsibility!
We’re out of our busy summer period and now various operators find themselves entering different seasonal periods. Whether that be whale watching, winter school holidays etc.
During these times, passenger bad behaviour is often excused or even overlooked due to busy tourism times. DON’T!
Last year AMSA issued a number of fines due to passengers jumping recklessly from charter vessels into water or onto infrastructure.
AMSA Executive Director stated: ‘You Jump, You Pay!’ this is going to be the rule for those who decide to endanger themselves and put others at risk.
Fines for recklessly jumping from a commercial vessel are a hefty $2,664 under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012.
When passengers jump from a commercial vessel, they not only risk serious and permanent injuries to themselves, but also endanger the lives of all onboard and just as importantly, divert attention from the crew of the safe operation of the vessel for retrieval of the passenger.
There was an incident in April 2022, involving a passenger who fell overboard skylarking on a Sydney ferry at night on a trip from Manly to Circular Quay. Weather conditions were rough with 3 to 4 metre swells.
The passenger and their mates had been attempting to get airborne on the deck as the vessel ploughed over the swell. The passenger jumped, stumbled and fell overboard.
The master turned the vessel around to search for the passenger in the dark and crew managed to locate him. He was lucky to have survived the fall. It could have been a very different ending.
When – every time!
It does not matter how small or insignificant you believe an incident is. It should be reported internally and to AMSA where necessary.
In Section 7 of the SMS Manuals Shorlink develops is a clear procedure for ‘Reporting of Marine Incidents’ both to AMSA and Internally (if the vessel is company owned).
If your SMS does not have this procedure it should have. It should state clearly the steps needed to be taken and by whom either the Master or owner and when.
This should be clear and precise and update accordingly. If in doubt, please feel free to contact our office for assistance or to discuss.
We highly recommended that for all vessels that carry passengers your crew should be aware of what passenger behaviour expectations you as the owner or Master have. They also should have training on how to handle disruptive passengers.
Again, in Section 7 of the SMS Manuals Shorlink develops we include a passenger handling procedure. If you don’t have this your SMS we recommend developing one now.
Should an incident occur, reporting procedures should be followed according to your SMS procedure and AMSA’s requirements.
Our top tip is to ensure Section 7 of your SMS is clear and with Procedures for Handling Passengers and Reporting of Incidents.
Review training and knowledge with all crew members – ensuring to record all training delivered.
Not sure? Contact us here at Shorlink today to review your SMS and we can also provide details on reporting and training requirements.