On 1 April 2011, the National Marine Safety Committee secretariat announced the release of the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on the technical requirements for the design and construction of domestic commercial vessels with respect to arrangement, accommodation and personal safety to be included in the National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV) - Part C Section 1 – Arrangement, Accommodation and Personal Safety. NSCV Part C Section 1 is a very broad standard that covers topics that include field of vision from the operating position, arrangements for navigation signals, passenger and crew accommodation on vessels, escape and evacuation, ladders, stairways, corridors, seating, guard rails, gangways, protection from machinery and so on. The NMSC seek feedback from stakeholders on the specific public comment questions contained within the RIS. Comment is also welcome on any other aspect of the RIS not specifically identified for comment. The Consultation RIS has been approved by the OBPR. When commenting on the RIS, it will be useful to also view the draft standard, which is available for comment at the National Marine Safety Committee website. The consultation period closes on 11 May 2011.
