BIA last week responded to a request from Safe Work Australia for extra feedback on the discussion paper, Improving the safety of crane operations in the maritime sector.
The SWA paper was driven by safety concerns related to crane operations in genuinely dynamic maritime environments—such as on-board moving commercial ships, open-water barges, stevedoring and offshore or subsea lifting. BIA’s position was that the recreational and light commercial boating sector, which includes marinas, boasts an enviable, long-standing safety record regarding the use of land-based cranes and lifting infrastructure. This excellent safety record is built upon decades of robust, industry-developed training, certification and strictly controlled operational practices.
In summary the BIA position was that safety of the workforce servicing, maintaining and/ or storing Australia’s recreational boating and light commercial sector is paramount. However, safety outcomes are best driven by clear, context-specific education and industry-developed training pathways rather than burdensome, catch-all legislative expansion. Based on our sector’s proud safety record, the BIA urges Safe Work Australia to protect the thousands of small to medium marine businesses nationwide by ensuring final definitions are tightly scoped to genuinely dynamic ship mounted cranes and commercial portside cranes, explicitly leaving static shoreside boatyard lifting out of any new high-risk licensing framework.
BIA appreciated the opportunity to make representations on behalf of the national recreational and light commercial vessel sector, and acknowledges the support of the Marine Industries Association in its response.
Members with queries can contact BIA Advocacy.
