Bit of an unusual request this one... I'm after a bit of a steer on canal (narrow) boat safety operated by my employer for young people in care. Plan is to use the boat for long weekends etc to provide a "holiday" experience for the young people.
The activity is not regulated by AALA and so I am thinking of going down the road of ensuring competence of the accompanying staff (helmsman courses, first aiders etc), having risk assessments in place for operations of the boat and canalside activity including lock operation, fire risk assessment and procedure, rescue procedure etc.
My question is, can I find any guidance on standards that should be applied to this sort of activity? My internet searches have drawn a blank so far but is someone out there is more aware than I am, then you could save me some significant time.
Thanks in advance.

Sorry but did I miss something there? This is what annoys me about the posting the respondant had no knowledge about the posting and then stated something that he also knew nothing about he couldn't even remember the case and then went onto to say the canoist drowned some of the yound people, he didn't drown anyone If you don't know what the poster wants to know then why not allow people to post who do have an understanding.

This will probably end up on the cutting room floor.

Hi

Not my scene, but maybe worth googling the following:
(unless you’ve already done so)

[canal boat safety] and [canal boat safety certificate]

Also try:
http://www.boatsafetysch...SSEssentialGuide_212.asp

Regards

That's the one, knew it was somewhere inland! Thanks Talpidae for flagging it up.

One day Farrell you'll suffer memory loss as you get older and wonder what I was on about. At least I didn't claim knew plenty on the subject, hence showing my competency.
Now where did I put those keys ....


Badger

Another solurce of information is the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA).

Their inland waterways pages are at
http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c...eseaside/mcga-inland.htm

Many of the links are to the boat safety scheme as Firesafetybod showed, but there are other links to British Waterways etc.

We run a number of narrow boats as part of our activities with St John Ambulance All boats carrying more than 12 passengers need to be registered and certifiied with the maritime and Coastguard agency
according to
the Merchant Shipping: Passenger Ships of Classes III to VI [A]) Regulations
1998 - see http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07-
home/shipsandcargoes/mcga-shipsregsandguidance/mcga-dqsss_
guidance_to_surveyors/mcga-dqs-ssb_con36a.htm

Regards
Mick