Some 75 per cent of accidents at sea are caused directly by human error, and all have a "human element", an international consultant told a marine safety seminar in Limerick yesterday.
Given that the Irish coastline has one of the greatest lengths of seacoast per head of population in the world, the current boom in marine activity means even the smallest commercial vessels may have to come under new safety regulations to reduce the number of accidents.
However, a combination of the New Zealand and British models of monitoring small boats, rather than the tight safety regime introduced in France, may be the most effective way of reducing accidents here, the seminar, hosted by the Marine Institute, heard.
Capt John McPartland, a consultant drawing up a report for the Marine Institute, said this approach would ensure a vessel was compliant all year, rather than just on the day of a survey. Under the New Zealand system, safety was "managed every day" by a series of records, periodically audited - similar to quality management systems used ash ore, he said. The French regime did not yield sufficient information on implementation to merit its use in this context, he said.
Focusing on the commercial boat sector, the seminar was one of three workshops currently being held by the institute as part of a series of safety initiatives ordered by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, in the wake of the recent boating tragedy off Co Louth in which four people lost their lives.
The Minister has said he wishes to put strong measures in place to reduce the level of tragedy.
Inconsistencies in the current regulator framework for commercial boats were highlighted.
Of an estimated 500 vessels in the category, some 275 to 300 are licensed to carry 12 or fewer people, for transport or sea angling, and some 160 ferries are licensed to carry 12 people or more, according to the Department of Marine and Natural Resources.
However, whereas sea angling boats travelling more than three miles from land or 15 miles from point of departure are subject to merchant shipping load lines rules, vessels working within three miles are exempt. These vessels are "encouraged" to comply with a recommended list of safety equipment.
New draft regulations on sea angling boats have just been published as a consultative document, and the final legislation will provide a framework for new regulations on passenger boats.
In a separate initiative, the interim report from a working group on jet-skis and fast motorboat safety is due out shortly, and the recommendations may be incorporated into the new marine casualty Bill, which has a provision to investigate marine accidents.
A new marine safety division has also been established within the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
The final seminar in the current series, focusing on pleasure and recreational craft, is due to be held on November 17th in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone. For more information, the Marine Institute is at (01) 4780333 or email: institute.mail@marine.ie. "Ireland, the Sea and the New Millennium" is the title of a major seminar on marine issues, also on November 17th, in the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Dublin. The Nautical Institute is an international body, representing the mercantile and naval sectors, in ten countries. For further information, contact (021)326821.
