Due to fatal and serious non-fatal incidents, we want to identify opportunities to enhance safety in the following areas: 

• Monitoring and accounting for passengers on board vessels.
• Preventing passengers from falling overboard.
• In the event a passenger does fall overboard—ensuring they can be retrieved quickly and safely. 

We are interested in understanding:

• If or how these key areas are currently being addressed in passenger vessel operators’ safety management systems.
• Whether safety management systems are the best place to deal with these key areas, or
• whether additional prescriptive regulation is required.

If you own, operate or work on a vessel that carries passengers, we want to hear feedback on your operations, what you do to ensure passenger safety, what this looks like in your safety management system, and any ideas you have about practical improvements that could be implemented.  If you think no changes are required, tell us why, and what works well. 

We also want to hear from the general public, including passengers, on your expectations for safety on passenger vessels.

In our consultation paper, we give some examples of measures that could be included to improve safety, with a focus on how this could be done through safety management systems. We would like feedback on whether these examples are practical.  You are also welcome to provide other examples or suggestions.

The consultation closed on 20 October 2019.

This consultation process is the first step in improving safety outcomes.  We will consult again on any changes that we decide to pursue as a result of feedback we receive through this process. In the meantime, AMSA’s normal inspections will continue, so make sure your safety management system adequately addresses your passengers’ safety.

Consultation papers

• Read the discussion paper (PDF 1.9 MB) PDF1.89 MB.
• Read the consultation feedback report (PDF 390 KB) PDF389.01 KB