BSS Examiners

Boat Safety Scheme Examiners

To qualify for a licence all boats based on British Inland Waterways have to be inspected every four years under the Boat Safety Scheme. The scheme is jointly sponsored by British Waterways and the Environment Agency and aims to reduce the risk of fires, explosions and poisonous gases on inland waterway boats by specifying a set of standards that most boats must satisfy before they will be granted a British Waterways or Environment Agency licence to be based on or to navigate the waterways. The requirements cover the fitting of fires, cookers, heating appliances and engines, and also stipulates minimum ventilation requirements. There are also some advice only items. You can download a copy of the BSS Essential Guide here.

All boaters are urged to fit and regularly test smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide detectors. Although boat fires and deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning are fairly rare, when they do happen they are inevtably tragic, and are usually avoidable. Only a few breaths of toxic smoke from a fire can knock a sleeping person unconscious, and unlikely to survive even a limited fire.

If you are buying a boat note that the Boat Safety Scheme examination does not cover other areas of a boat's condition, for instance the state of the hull, engine or most internal features. It should never be used as a basis for buying or valuing a boat, you should get a marine surveyor to provide an expert opinion if you want to buy wisely.
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