CHAPTER V
MARINE SAFETY
A. Safety Issues relating to
Recreational Boaters
B.
The Training and Work Environment in Canada’s Marine Industry
C. Pilotage
D. Other Marine Safety Issues
CHAPTER VI
LIGHTHOUSE SAFETY ISSUES
CHAPTER V
Safety in the many facets of marine activity is vitally important to Canadians and to Canada’s commercial activities. Canada is bordered on three sides by distinctly different coastlines and equally different oceans. Each one, the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic, poses unique problems for those involved in the marine industry. Inland from its bordering oceans the landscape of Canada contains one of the world’s great inland waterways, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. This area is crucial to Canada’s import-export trade, as well as serving as a water playground for recreational boaters. Finally, a topographical map of Canada shows endless patches and ribbons of blue, representing the fresh water lakes and rivers that cover a large portion of Canada’s land mass.
Pleasure boating and commercial shipping along Canada’s coastline and inland waterways present many varied safety issues that the Subcommittee was made aware of throughout the course of its hearings.
In general terms, the Subcommittee was given evidence of the differences in the topography, geography and weather systems which affect marine activity on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. It was also made aware of concerns held by numerous witnesses regarding the lack of safety precautions taken or observed by the ever-increasing numbers of pleasure boaters in Canada. Other issues discussed herein relate more specifically to the marine industry in Canada: hours of work, training, pilotage, and complexity of the regulatory regime, an issue which involves the whole question of the relationship of this industry to government.
The Special Committee notes that Table 3 shows a significant decline in large vessel marine accidents from 1994 to 1997.
A. Safety Issues relating to Recreational Boaters
The safety problems created by recreational boaters both for themselves and others were first brought to the attention of the Subcommittee by Michael Turner, Acting Commissioner for Canada’s Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has jurisdictional authority over recreational boating. Recognising the safety problems that some of these boaters can create through misuse or abuse of Canada’s waterway, the Coast Guard has instituted an education program for small boat users.
We support the Coast Guard in this initiative as over 200 people per year are killed in this activity. As Acting Commissioner Turner explained, it is "in this area of marine safety we have the highest rate of death of any marine activity in terms of the number of people involved and deaths". (2:72)
On January 18, 1999, the government announced the implementation of regulations that place age restrictions on the operation of power boats equipped with motors above 10 horsepower.
The Special Committee supports this initiative by the Coast Guard and looks forward to monitoring progress made through its implementation.
In his testimony before the Subcommittee in Halifax, the Harbour Master of the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick had some interesting comments on the issue of the safety of recreational boaters.
He noted that:
A person may purchase a vessel in the afternoon, and put that vessel in the water and operate it the following day, provided the vessel meets the requirements of the licensing authorities. No training is necessary or required by law to ensure that the operator of such a vessel understands the limitation of the craft, or the expected actions of himself or other vessels. (8:51)
In addition, the Harbour Master pointed out that some system must be devised by which all vessels operating in the waters of Canada can be identified as to ownership, size and use. His experience is that in the ports where he has worked "the abandonment of vessels on port or crown property becomes an expense for those that have the stewardship of that property, unless the ownership can be identified. Such abandonments are unsightly and can be hazardous to the environment." (8:57)
It was his suggestion that some system be formulated by which all vessels operating in Canadian waters can be identified as to ownership, size and use. When all of this information is put into data banks, one would be able to trace the ownership or change in ownership of a vessel.
For such an identification system to operate successfully, it would require co-operation between the federal and provincial orders of government. It is the desire of the Special Committee to discuss such a system in detail with the various federal and provincial authorities concerned during our mandate.
B. The Training and Work Environment in Canada’s Marine Industry
There is a work ethic that has developed for as long as there have been ships sailing the oceans that those in charge must be on duty continuously until the work is done, no matter how long it may take. David Bellefontaine, President and CEO of the Halifax Port Corporation listed excess hours and fatigue of those involved in the marine industry, especially longshoremen, as the major safety concern of the Port of Halifax. "If somebody works 30 or 35 hours straight, I do not know who can do that over a long period of time and be considered alert. That is a concern". (8:68)
The lengthy hours worked without a break was also addressed by Secunda Marine Services Limited. John Hughes, their port manager, stated "it is laid down that you should have eight hours of rest in a 24 hour period. I am well aware in the practical sense that that is often very difficult to achieve in an operating environment that is remote from any support". (8:25)
Because of the culture that surrounds the marine industry and the work ethic assumed by those involved, hours of work become a safety issue, but one that does not lend itself easily to a statutory solution. It is a matter that the Subcommittee identified as requiring further study because of its detrimental effect on safety. A tired crew is an ineffective crew that may put itself and others at risk. This applies to longshoremen and, indeed, to all of those who work to exhaustion and beyond in the marine industry.
Another matter closely related to the problem of long hours is the lack of investment in training and commitment by either government or industry to ensure that sufficient Canadians will be trained to serve as mariners in both the short and long term future. Lack of trained young people in the marine industry was identified by a number of witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee as a great concern for the future of the marine industry.
Captain John Hughes of Secunda Marine termed the "provision of experienced personnel in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of governments and industry as the biggest challenge facing the shipping industry in the decade ahead." (8:17). He is concerned that the pool of workers from which the marine industry has consistently drawn will dry up. He also argues that cutbacks in adult education and the insufficient tax advantages for employing Canadian mariners will diminish the number of Canadian trained mariners.
This view is shared by the Company of Master Mariners of Canada. Berths must be made available for young men and women. In times of constraint it is difficult for the Coast Guard or commercial shippers to find sufficient funds to enable Canadians to gain the necessary expertise. Supporting the ideas expressed by the Secunda Marine, they suggested that tax incentives be given to Canadian mariners.
There must be a renewed emphasis placed on training because, as the marine workforce ages, safety concerns arise. While an ageing workforce does not necessarily mean an unsafe workforce, it may mean that certain participants will become tired from excessive overwork. As well, retirement of this experienced workforce without immediate renewal could lead to problems. This brings the whole issue of safety to the forefront.
The Subcommittee heard from the Canadian Marine Pilots Association and from the local pilotage authorities across Canada. There was little direct criticism of the pilotage situation in Canada. Representatives of Fednav stated that the Canadian Shipowner’s Association is opposed to compulsory pilotage between Montreal and Les Escoumins. As a practical solution to this problem and to others who object to paying pilotage fees, Fednav had the following suggestion:
We do not agree that river pilotage should become non-compulsory, but we do accept the system of pilotage certificates for ship officer’s as an alternative to full pilotage as long as we can be assured that those in command of these ships are well qualified to pilot their ships in these waters, as ascertained by an examination from the Laurentien Pilotage Authority and that the crews are not fatigued. (7:134)
The certification process should guarantee the competence of the officers in the river and the regulations should ensure that the officers are not fatigued. This is a suggestion that the Special Committee will consider in the coming months.
The Pilotage Authorities explained that they are in the midst of a program of self analysis as they respond to issues raised by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport in its report on the state of pilotage in Canada. One of the main areas being looked at by the Pilotage Authorities is the reduction of costs. In the 1995 Report of the Pacific Pilotage Task Force to the Minister of Transport, the Pilotage Authorities state that constant vigilance is essential for the service to be delivered in a manner that is both fundamentally safe and cost-efficient.
The Subcommittee also explored whether there is a need to establish an Arctic Pilotage Authority. The general consensus among witnesses was that there was still not enough traffic in this area to warrant the establishment of an Arctic Pilotage Authority. However, Fednav brought to the attention of the Subcommittee the benefits of employing ice advisors to assist those sailing in our northern waters. The Special Committee will continue to study this matter as we believe an Arctic pilotage area could be established under the authority of the Laurentien Pilotage Authority as an interim measure.
A number of issues arose during the deliberations of the Subcommittee on the marine industry in Canada which are not only important but impact on safety. Such matters as port policing, port-state inspections, the transportation of hazardous goods by ship, and the role of classification societies were raised by witnesses who presented sometimes conflicting views as to how these matters impacted on the marine industry, safety, and how these issues could be resolved. All of these matters will be considered in detail by the Special Committee during its mandate.
TABLE III
Commercial Accident Rate - Marine
(Number of accidents per 1,000 vessel trips)
Nothing exemplifies the difference in Canada’s east and west coasts in terms of transportation safety more than the controversy surrounding the destaffing of the lighthouses on Canada’s West Coast. Those who oppose the destaffing of lighthouses characterize it as a safety issue.
The Subcommittee heard from the Coast Guard, the President of the British Columbia Lightkeepers Local, and the major stakeholders from the marine and aviation industries in British Columbia. It should be noted that this is not an Atlantic coast issue. On the Atlantic side, most lightstations have been destaffed for some years with the notable exception of the lightstation on Sable Island. In fact, in the brief presented by Secunda Marine Services Limited in Halifax, reference was made to the reduction in the navigational aids and destaffed lighthouses on the Atlantic side.
With reference to the reduction in the number of floating aids to navigation, we have no argument with this, and do not see this as an impediment to safe navigation. Their absence is more than compensated for by the advancements in technology available to the modern navigator. The same is true with respect to the phasing out of manned lighthouses. (8:17)
However this is not the view held by the witnesses heard by the Subcommittee when it held hearings in Vancouver. The tasks of lightkeepers were described as many and varied, but all vitally important to both mariners and aviators. Perhaps the role they play was best described in the brief presented by the Pacific Trollers Association.
With human response to weather from lighthouses we mariners and aviators get more weather from the lighthouse location itself. Examples are cloud level, visibility, and conditions at sea. Sometimes offshore by a couple of miles and wave conditions offshore due to heavy tides which will affect our decision for safe passage.
Often Lightkeepers are responsible for co-ordinating search and rescue operations that are successful because of their immediate participation. Survival from exposure in the sea is prevented when help is available immediately. Automation cannot offer any help! (5:117)
As well as hearing from those who benefit from the services offered by Lightkeepers, the Subcommittee also received testimony from Jim Abram, President of British Columbia Lightkeepers, local 20232 and the Acting Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Michael A. H. Turner. After reviewing the evidence given by both parties, it was obvious that there is a significant difference of opinion between these two parties over the issue of destaffing.
From the Subcommittee's brief encounter with this issue it learned that Lightkeepers perform many tasks which are of benefit to government departments other than the Coast Guard. As a result there could be an element of user-pay or cost recovery from both users and other government departments factored into the resources required to maintain staffed lighthouses. One of the most promising of the solutions to the problem was presented by the Air Operations Group of the British Columbia Aviation Council.
The Air Operations Group feels it has a working solution which recognizes the shortcomings of the present system and works together with other users, Lightkeepers and government agencies to improve it. Everybody is and will be a valued part of this process. The users, the mariners and aviators, can tell us the best places for weather reports to be made and what kind of information they need and how often. The lighthouse keepers can tell us how their duties can be expanded and where costs of operating lighthouses can be lowered. The Coast Guard can look at cutting back management costs of these lighthouses and explore alternate means of supplying and servicing the lighthouse sites. Other government agencies could look at training keepers to perform duties needed for their programs, thus lowering their staff costs and also sharing in the costs of lighthouse operation. (5:9)
Discus sions among all the parties involved would be a positive step in resolving this problem. The Pacific Trollers Association acknowledged "automation may be O.K. for lighthouses that are accessible by land and can be repaired during poor weather conditions". It is the conclusion of the Special Committee that the moratorium on the further destaffing of lightstations should be extended until such time as it can be demonstrated that the automated weather detection systems are consistently reliable and especially, in inclement weather.
The Special Committee recognizes and appreciates the positions of all of the parties involved in the controversy regarding destaffing. We also believe that it is a controversy that can be resolved through creative thinking and imaginative solutions, given good will on the part of all participants.
For example, during the Subcommittee’s meetings in London, England, it heard evidence from the General Lighthouse Authority in the United Kingdom. There, the light station system is not run by the government and staffed lightstations have been in the process of being phased out since 1900. The General Lighthouse Authority is responsible for lightstations and is funded on the basis of fees paid by the users of the system: commercial ship owners and fisherpersons. The system does not disseminate any weather information. It is purely a navigational system with a mix of visual aids, long range navigational aids, enhanced GPS and radar. The Subcommittee was told that the system operates with a great deal of consultation with the users.
The Subcommittee was advised that during the destaffing period it was proposed that destaffed lighthouses be opened to visitors so that they could become a revenue generating source. The General Lighthouse Authority developed detailed schemes for the redevelopment of each property. In most cases the lighthouse has become a tourist attraction and an employment generator, with the keeper staying to manage the property and paying rent to the Authority.
All those involved in the destaffing debate should study the situation in the United Kingdom in order to determine whether these solutions are adaptable to the Canadian situation.
The Special Committee will monitor the situation of the destaffing of west coast lightstations during its mandate with a view to ensuring that whatever solutions are found, they protect the safety of all the user groups.