Mandatory Requirement for Safety Management Systems on Fishing Vessels
All fishing vessel owners in Western Australia are required to have established a formal Safety Management System (SMS) for their vessel under both workplace and marine safety legislation. This has been a requirement since 1st July 2016.
Your SMS should be based on a risk assessment of your fishing vessel’s operation and explain how you and your crew manage safety on your vessel.
As all fishing vessels, crews and operational areas are different, the SMS needs to take into account the individual circumstances of your operation to ensure that it reflects what you do, in your operation, on your vessel.
The owner, operator, master and crew of each vessel should all be involved in carrying out the risk assessment and in developing, reviewing and updating the SMS.
AMSA can review your SMS and provide information to help you meet your general safety duties under the National Law.
For more details on Safety Management Systems and other safety matters in the fishing industry Click here to view this month’s WAFIC safety update.