We take a 'systems approach' to education activities because marine incidents can involve multiple failures of system components—human, organisational, or technical.
Our education activities include:
- visits from our network of liaison officers
- regional workshops, forums and face-to-face interactions with industry
- engagement with targeted industry groups
- industry-wide awareness and compliance campaigns
- development and dissemination of our safety publications
- consultation with operators by our compliance staff.
We run targeted safety management workshops based on operation, sector, size and complexity. These aim to help domestic commercial vessel operators develop a greater understanding of safety management systems. The workshops will address other safety matters including topics such as:
- monitoring the safety of passengers
- safe fishing from dories
- vessel stability
- fatigue and workload management.
Monitoring activities in 2018–19 will involve face-to-face interaction with approximately 10 per cent of the domestic commercial vessel fleet. Our approach to monitoring has three parts—inspections, business audits and compliance checks.
Inspections
Our inspections for 2018–19 focus on:
- vessels based on targeting or intelligence— on an opportunity basis
- Class 1B and 1C vessels certified to carry more than 36 passengers—scheduled with the operator where practical
- seasonal fishing vessels greater than 7.5 metres on a scheduled basis, before season commencement—in consultation with operators
- other fishing vessels greater than 7.5 metres—scheduled with operators
- vessels involved in a marine incident.
Business audits
Our business audits look at safety assessment and response processes that are reflected in the safety management system. If the business has a number of vessels we will audit a sample only.
Audits for 2018–19 will focus on:
- hire and drive operators
- aquaculture companies
- resort vessels
- water taxi operators, or similar operators.
Compliance checks
For vessels of 7.5 metres or less, compliance checks and monitoring activities are combined with education programs. We have compliance partner arrangements with marine safety, parks, and fisheries organisations, and police agencies across Australia. AMSA staff deliver monitoring activities in connection with staff from our compliance partner organisations.