Have you invalidated your BSS Certificate?
THE Nationwide Alliance of Boat Surveyors and Examiners (NABSE) were greatly encouraged to read the May issue of News from the Fens where Kelvin Alexander-Duggan highlighted a situation all too familiar to NABSE Boat Safety Scheme Examiners, writes Chairman Graham Freeman.
The situation being when BSS Examiners encounter non-compliant changes to craft configuration that have been made at some point during the maximum four years validity period of the Boat Safety Scheme Certificate (BSSC).
Invalidate the certificate
As Kelvin rightly points out, many owners believe that their BSSC is valid for four years and, by doing what the majority of boat owners do in the form of alterations/improvements to their craft, they sometimes (unknowingly) invalidate their BSSC because they do not realise that such actions may contravene the BSSC 'terms and conditions' which are to be found on the rear of the 'old' (pre 1st April 2013) Certificate and which clearly state:
The validity of this certificate may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained and/or alterations are made ...
For BSSC's awarded after 1st April 2013, a revised set of terms and conditions entitled About the BSS Examination and its Limitations is issued to the owner in either hard copy format or emailed as a .pdf document and these state:
Revised terms
The owners on-going responsibility: it is crucial to maintain the vessel in good condition in accordance with the safety requirements; and, any other licensing, registration or mooring conditions of the relevant navigation or harbour authority. The validity of a BSS pass result may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained; and/or non-compliant alterations are made....
NABSE strongly supports Kelvin's recommendation for purchasers not to place undue reliance on any accompanying BSSC as proof that a boat is compliant with the requirements of the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) at the time of purchase. Prospective buyers are encouraged to check that the boat's paperwork actually reflects the configuration of the boat for sale. If, for example, the boat has had an engine change, major electrical re-work, a galley re-fit or any of its LPG appliances changed/upgraded since its last examination, the certificate may not be valid if the work was carried out in a non-BSS compliant manner (which could also have insurance implications).
Establish validity
Accordingly, purchasers should request the surveyor conducting their pre-purchase survey to establish the validity of any certificate and should consider the need to budget for the eventuality that a new BSSC may be required to bring the boat into compliance before the purchase is completed to reduce the need to redress any issues downstream through Trading Standards/Civil Court proceedings.
For owners who are contemplating changes to their craft's configuration, NABSE recommends that they ensure that the work is carried out by a company/individual who is competent to carry out the work and understands the requirements of the Boat Safety Scheme. For those intending to implement such changes themselves, they should, in the first instance, seek guidance from the BSS Office (http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/contact-us) to establish if the intended work may impact upon the validity of their current BSSC.
Where owners are thinking of making changes around the time that their current BSSC is due renewal, NABSE recommends that they contact a BSS Examiner to ascertain if the work they are contemplating has the possibility to invalidate their 'new' BSSC.
Details of NABSE BSS Examiners can be found at:
http://www.nabse.co.uk/Pages/map.aspx.