SAFETY REPORT JUNE COUNCIL MEETING 2007
SAMSA
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Principal Officers who took the time to join us in our National Safety Meetings. Now they have met those who operate in their area, and it has also given out Safety Officers an opportunity to meet them. This turned out to be a very successful operation.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY
This is an issue which has caused a lot of consternation amongst the general public and our lecturers and examiners, due to the fact that these certificates are not coming out of the SAMSA office. I have taken up the situation with Seafarers in Pretoria. I gave them a list of approximately 1600 outstanding tickets, some are outstanding for over 15 to 18 months.
I have been assured by their office that they will do every thing within their power to sort the back log out. It was quite obvious to me that the main reason is that they are totally under staffed to handle the amount of certificates applied for.
ENQUIRES DIRECT TO SAMSA.
We have assured them that once again none of our members have the right to contact them direct, they have also been advised not to assist any calls received from any of our members. All queries will be handled if directed to the National Safety Office P.O. Box 73486 Lynnwood Ridge Pretoria 0040 or on E-mail to .
The time SAMSA takes to look up your problem, comes off the time allocated to us for issuing of our certificates. We cannot afford this loss.
EXAM FRONT APPLICATION PAGE.
I have had this page changed to suit the SAMSA application page so as to simplify the matter for the SAMSA staff which produce this certificate. Hopefully this will make it easier for them to understand. No other front application page will be acceptable. Once again I would like to thank you one and all for your co-operation.
A copy of that certificate is attached herewith, but it is marked not for publication.
E.P.I.R.B.
As I assured you earlier,we have successfully managed to have this taken off Cat. B and Ctherefore it is now only carried on Cat A craft. This has been published in the Marine Notice No. 4 which have attached for your perusal. This will shortly be published with the new regulations. I contacted SAMSA and they assured me they have already forwarded a Marine Notice for signature and publication. This should be before the end of May 2007. In the event the new Regulations are not gazetted by that time.
THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL EXAMINERS.
Unfortunately some of the examiners never included their contact details with their C.V.’s which we sent to SAMSA I have managed to forward these details to them. Once these have been sorted out they will contact me and plan the next step. As soon as I have been advised, I will let you all know.
BUOYANCY BOTTLES
I have explained this on various occasions. Prefably the best bottle to use is the STANDARD 500 ml bottle H.D.P.E. 32 TO 38 gms for a 500ml bottle. The H.D.P.E. one liter bottle must be 52 TO 55 gms. (H.D.P.E. = HIGH DENSITY POLYEYTHLENE).
It must be the correct gram weight either the 500 ml or the 1 lt bottle. There is a lesser weight bottle which is marked HDPE but it is not the STANDARD GRAM WEIGHT .
The lesser gram bottle is not ACCEPTABLE.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT.
The new regulations have once again been held up by the legal department who have found the drafting not acceptable. Until we can satisfy the legal Dept. they will not pass them for signature. Once the Minister has signed them they will then be sent to the Government Printer for publication. Obviously once they have been published, there will be a once year phasing in period before it becomes law for every vessel to have a Certificate of Competency and a Certificate of Fitness for their craft on all public waterways. All craft will have to have an approved number. The category for all inland operations will carry the suffix R. We already have the prefix S.R. which can be used on all inland craft. There is also a method of registering clubs with the S.R. number as I have already explained to you. In the event of any of you wanting to make use of club registration, the club must apply for the prefix, from our office in Pretoria. N.S.O. P.O. BOX 73486 LYNNWOOD RIDGE 0040 or e-mail
We have already approved a set of club pre fixes which were applied for by MpumlangaProvince.
COST STRUCTURES S.R. NUMBERS.
I have had numerous phone calls and discussions in this respect and it is our sincere belief that the standard fee has laid down, should not be exceeded. These fees could possibly be reduced by doing the re-survey on the day club boats are surveyed.
No traveling expenses should be added as we have the club Safety Officers literally covering all areas and therefore there is no necessity for any surveyor to have any distance to travel. He should hand over to a surveyor in that area.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY
This can not be based on a standard price rating due to all the possible variables which are involved. Once again, depending on the type of course and the presentation of the course. The presentation of the course will determine the costs. I feel sure that each the every one should be advertised on the web site including their costs and the open market system will finalise the entrance. This I think will make a big impact once the new system is in place and the results will speak for themselves.
NEW EXAMS
These will only come into force after SAMSA has accredited our examiners and they have passed our exam papers. Until such time we will carry on the old system.
ACCREDITED SAMSA EXAMINERS
Accredited training providers and appointed examiners for small vessels skippers - we have sent in all our details to SAMSA the first marine notice of approved examiners has been sent out. Some safety officers have enquired why we are not listed why we are not listed on this marine notice - I reserve my council in this respect but I will assure the council that if I had had more cooperation from the members in this respect we might have had a chance of being listed. We will be listed shortly.
MANUALS
CAT R - E
These have been re-printed and are available from our Pretoria Office.
CAT C LOCAL WATERS
Only a few are left.
We have the new D – B LOCAL WATERS which have been sent to the printers these will be available shortly to suit the new system.
CAT B NIGHT RATING
This has also been completed and handed to the publishers for typing and all things being even will be printed by the end of June or beginning of July 2007.
COASTAL WATERS
This is also in the process of completion and will follow the Cat. B Night Rating book. These have been drawn up from the SAMSA syllabi and the code requirements.
EQUIPMENT LIST AND CONSTRUCTION
I have drawn up an equipment list and construction requirements for various craft which will be attached to these documents.
PERSONAL WATER CRAFT
I have also drawn up a buoyancy certificate for P.W.C. which is also herewith attached. Please note it is only for YAMAHA and BOBMARDIER at this stage as the other craft have supplied us all the flotation details.
MANUFACTURERS BUOYANCY CERTIFICATE
I have also included a manufacturers certificate which should be used for all new installations or for any boat builder who has fitted buoyancy. Manufacturers should be approved by the South African Boat Building Association and then be accredited by SAMSA before the certificate can be issued.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP FORM
I have also included the change of ownership certificates which is in accordance with the requirements of the Merchant Shipping Act.
INSPECTION REPORT
I have reduced this to 1 (one) page as per requests, although some clubs have the same old certificates. It has been photostated double sided which has the same effect abut obviously on a larger scale. Now you have both options.
TEMPORARY CERTIFICATES
For examiners only. Herewith a copy of the temporary certificate which has been issued to all examiners - PLEASE NOTE THIS IS THE ONLY ONE TO BE USED.
Thanking you for all your kind co-operation.
Yours in safety
STAN
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