"Water transport" covers very different businesses — deep-sea shipping, coastal and ferry services, and the trip boats and barges on canals and rivers — but all under one regulator, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. This path takes you through it in order: put the duties every operator shares in place, then follow the certification and licensing regime for your operation, and finish by checking you have covered everything.
Step 1 — Put the shared workplace duties in place
Every water transport business must manage health and safety, accident reporting, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection before it begins operating.
Step 2 — Follow the regime for your operation
Now work through the guide for your kind of operation. If more than one applies, follow each relevant guide.
If you operate sea-going ships
Register the ship, hold survey and safety certificates, and meet the ISM, load line, dangerous-goods and security regimes.
If you crew ships and employ seafarers
Certify your masters, officers and ratings to the STCW standard, meet the ENG1 medical and safe-manning regimes, and apply the Maritime Labour Convention.
If you operate on inland or categorised waters
Licence the craft with the navigation authority, hold a Boat Safety Scheme certificate, and meet the domestic safety-management and boatmaster regimes.
Step 3 — Confirm you are compliant
Work through the water transport compliance checklist to confirm every obligation that applies to your operation is in place.