National Safe Boating Week. Increasing awareness of responsible boating practices!
National Safe Boating Week (NSBW) is a safety initiative of Australia New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG).
The aim of NSBW is to increase safer boating practices and promote responsible boat ownership for commercial and recreational use.
Whenever you are on the water everybody has a responsibility to ensure the safe operation of their boats and come home unharmed to their loved ones.
NSBW for 2021 has three themes:
NSBW for 2021 has three themes:-
Maintenance
Maintenance is a critical part of boat ownership and ALL vessel need regular maintenance, servicing and safety checks. Vessel breakdowns and equipment failures can and do put your life and the lives of everyone onboard at risk of serious injury and even death!
Make sure you keep your maintenance and servicing up to date at all times and…don’t forget to record both scheduled maintenance and any repairs and/or maintenance due to breakdowns or equipment failure.
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Safety Equipment
At all times you must be prepared for an emergency situation by having the correct safety equipment onboard and in service where required. As for your vessel, safety gear must be maintained and should at all times be stowed so as it’s easily accessible in an emergency.
Having safety equipment that is damaged and/or not in service puts everyone onboard in danger in the event of an emergency. Remember nobody schedules an emergency such as a fire, sinking or person falling overboard…they happen suddenly and usually in bad weather!
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Lifejackets
When emergency situations arise, there is rarely time to grab a lifejacket let alone put one on so it’s critical they are stowed in an easy to get at location because…if you need it you need it NOW!
Something we try to communicate during our training sessions is that a lifejacket only works when you are wearing it. If you find yourself in the water due to the loss of a vessel you’re more likely to survive if you are wearing a lifejacket.
October is also National Safe Work Month
In conjunction with Safe Work Australia, we ask that business owners, workers and employers across Australia commit to safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians. No job should be unsafe, and no death or injury is acceptable. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone.
Shorlink’s Recommendation
Today we have 3 recommendations…
- Ensure your maintenance is up to date at all times. Take the time now or before you go out to check over all motors, other machinery and associated equipment and…remember to record your checks and maintenance.
- Check all of your safety equipment including lifesaving appliances and firefighting equipment and do it NOW to ensure it’s ready to go when needed.
- Ensure your lifejackets are easily accessible and are in good condition. Make sure they are dry with no damage including broken straps or buckles with the whistle attached and the light is in date.
Tip
The best tip I can give you to ensure all of your safety equipment is easy to get to in an emergency. Lifejackets are no good if stowed in an area that access can easily be cut off and fire extinguishers that are stowed in a locker with other gear all around them escalates the potential for a major fire.
Take your life and the lives of all those onboard seriously and while we hope you will not need any of the safety gear but if you do you need it immediately so make sure you have easy access to all your safety gear.
Remember, if you need assistance or advice with your safety gear don’t hesitate to contact us by…
Email: sms@shorlink.com Phone: 07 4242 1412 Web: www.shorlink.com
