Transport & Logistics

Set up and run a safe water transport operation

Whatever you operate and however you operate it — sea-going passenger or cargo ships, canal and river trip boats, ferries on categorised waters, or freight on inland waterways — you must manage the same workplace health and safety, accident reporting, insurance, equality and data protection duties before you begin operating. This guide covers the duties every water transport business shares; your registration, certification and licensing regime is covered in the guide for your kind of operation.

UK-wide
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UK-wide

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Water transport businesses put people and cargo into a higher-risk environment — crews working at sea or on the water for long periods, mooring, loading and lifting operations, and the carriage of members of the public. Before the registration, certification and licensing regimes that apply to your vessels, every water transport employer carries the same workplace duties as any other business. Start here, then follow the guide for your kind of operation — sea-going ships, crewing and seafarer certification, or inland and categorised-waters vessels.

A. Health and safety at work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASWA) requires you to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and anyone else affected by your work — crews, shore and terminal staff, and passengers. You must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and if you employ five or more people you must record it in writing. On shore — offices, terminals and loading operations — the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces in Great Britain and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) in Northern Ireland. On board UK ships, the same duties are applied by the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997 and enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Slips, trips and falls on deck, working over water, mooring and lifting operations and fatigue are typical risks your assessment must address.

B. Reporting accidents (RIDDOR and the MAIB)

There are two separate reporting routes. Work-related deaths, specified injuries, over-7-day incapacitations, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases that happen on shore — in offices, terminals and depots — must be reported to the HSE (or HSENI in Northern Ireland) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). Accidents, serious injuries and dangerous occurrences on board ship are instead reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 — the marine reporting duty is covered in the guide for your kind of operation.

C. Employers' liability insurance

If you employ anyone — including crew on your payroll and apprentices — you must hold employers' liability insurance with a minimum of £5 million cover and make the certificate available. The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 applies in Great Britain; in Northern Ireland the equivalent duty is under the Employers' Liability (Defective Equipment and Compulsory Insurance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. This is separate from the protection and indemnity (P&I) and hull cover your operation will also need.

D. Equality and passenger accessibility

The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Scotland and Wales and protects employees, job applicants and members of the public from discrimination on nine protected characteristics, with a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled passengers. For passenger services, the retained EU Regulation 1177/2010 on the rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterway sets additional accessibility, assistance and information duties. In Northern Ireland, separate equality legislation enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) provides equivalent protections.

E. Data protection

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply UK-wide. Passenger bookings and manifests, crew records, CCTV and operational data are all personal data. You must identify a lawful basis for each processing activity, keep data secure, set retention periods and respond to subject access requests within one calendar month, and register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) unless exempt.

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    What to do next

    Follow the guide for your kind of water transport operation — sea-going ships, crewing and seafarer certification, or inland and categorised-waters vessels — then complete the water transport compliance checklist.

Official sources

Authoritative guidance on workplace duties for water transport businesses.