National Water Safety Congress

Canadian Safe Boating Council Trip Report

September">

National Water Safety Congress

Canadian Safe Boating Council Trip Report

September, 2002

 The undersigned attended the annual meeting of the CSBC held in Halifax, NS at the end of September, 2002.  The following trip report is provided.  Executive Vice President Bill Gossard also attended the meeting although I am not sure which sessions he attended.  Bill also made a presentation on behalf of the NTSB at the annual meeting. 

John Adams, Canadian Coast Guard

The CCG celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.  The CCG does not have an enforcement capacity, and are not armed.  They serve as a civilian organization that provides support to the uniformed maritime security forces.  The CCG has $5 billion in fleet assets, and spend $175 million annually in fleet maintenance.  Fleet is currently downsizing – 190 vessels 5 years ago, now have 108.  It is the goal of the CCG director to increase the use of the Internet to disperse information to users.  CCG is the lead agency for administering the mandatory education program for vessel operation in Canada. 

National PFD/Lifejacket Wear Study – Brian Avery, Office of Boating Safety, CCG

Conducted literature review, focus groups, and an observation study to gather data on PFD/lifejacket wear.  Found there is a lack of uniform Canada-wide data, most studies are local or regional.  Conducted focus groups in Halifax, Toronto, and Quebec; found individuals are most likely to use PFD’s when alone, with children, or in bad weather.  Inhibitors to wear included experience of operator (less), perceived level of safety, and found age 16-35 to be the highest non-wear group.

Observation study included 1700 boats and more than 4,000 boaters.  Wear rate was not uniform, with a national average of about 29% wearing PFD’s.  Rate of wear was higher in Newfoundland and Labrador – cold weather and water?  If the operator was wearing a PFD, passengers were usually wearing one.  Larger the boat, less the PFD wear.  Found PFD wear factors included the perceived risk of the activity, male vs. female(higher wear rate among females), and affluence/education ( higher the education, less wear of PFD’s).

 Attitudes and Behaviors – Male Boaters in Western Canada  Sue Phillips, CRC

Drowning research – drownings in Canada are down over the past 10 years, 648/508.  Boating drownings are also down.  Bad news is that Canada’s drowning rate is twice that of the U.S.  78% of boating drownings the individual was not wearing a PFD; 29% didn’t even have a PFD on board.  Males are at the highest risk for drowning, and comprise 81% of those who drown overall and 90% of boaters who drown.

Conducted survey in 1996, and repeated it in 2001.  Asked the same questions of similar survey group; found that self-reported life jacket use was up only 6%.  Also found if the male operator wore a PFD, the passengers wore PFD’s. 

Found that there were 4 clusters of male boaters with similar attitudes:  1) “Safety leaders” – older, more experienced boaters, 28%; 2) “Safety followers” – younger, 22%; 3) “Unsafe risk takers” – feel risk is part of life, only wear PFD’s when boat is moving, 25%; 4) “Unsafe entrenched” – won’t wear a PFD under any circumstances, 25%. 

Office of Boating Safety Update – Jon Churchill

The Office of Boating Safety has less than 70 employees; are trying to lessen their role in education and delegate more responsibility to the educational organizations.  Want to concentrate more on the regulatory responsibilities, less on education, with more emphasis on canoe/kayak groups.  Are moving their guides and publications to CD and will reduce or eliminate printed materials sent to individuals – this wasn’t real popular with some of the educators in attendance who felt that giving these printed materials to the end user at a boat ramp was critical.  OBS also wants to establish better database and reporting on boating accidents, rewrite the small vessel regulations, and review the construction standards for pleasure craft.  There are NO construction standards for commercial craft in Canada.

 

PFD Task Force – Barb Byers

The Canadian Safe Boating Council has initiated a PFD Task Force to study PFD wear in Canada.  The study is being funded by the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund, will take 8 months to complete, and will study 4 hypotheses:

  1. There is a problem with people not wearing life jackets;
  2. Is mandatory PFD wear a solution?
  3. Is there a legislative or regulatory solution?
  4. Conduct a public opinion poll to find out public attitudes on PFD wear

 

If you have any questions on the above items, please contact me.

Steve Fairbanks, Immediate Past President

NWSC