NR25-001 The Boat Safety Standards Setting forum launches smoke alarm consultation

Suitable smoke alarms are the readily available products that are currently third-party accredited as meeting BS EN 14604:2005. These are makes and models that are typically used in domestic buildings and are readily available from high street shops, in retail park stores and online retailers.

The changes are proposed for all types of BSS Examination, private boats, boats used for hire and other non-private boat classes.

The Forum believes that mandatory smoke alarms will help reduce the risk of fire spreading by giving an early alert to a fire starting and so allowing people to take harm-mitigating actions as soon as possible.

The early alert, when compared with not having an alarm, is predicted to allow some of the following measures (based on circumstances):

1) occupants to control a fire while it is very small – only if it safe to do so.

2) occupants to turn off emergency valves and switches

3) occupants to call emergency services earlier

4) people near the boat, to call the emergency services earlier

5) people to pull away adjacent boats and move any nearby objects at risk

6) warn occupants of neighbouring boats to exit and keep clear

7) greater time for crews to escape (additional first-party risk benefit on private boats)

The proposals are presented as both necessary and proportionate risk controls and your comments upon them are welcomed - go to www.boatsafetyscheme.org/aboutus/consultationsandreviews/smokealarmconsultation. 

The proposals have the support of forum members comprising of representatives of navigation and harbour authorities, the marine industry body - British Marine, boat users and Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) Examiners. It also has the support of the BSS Advisory and BSS Technical forums and the BSS Board of Directors.

The consultation is being hosted and administered by the Boat Safety Scheme. It is open until 17:00 on Thursday 26 March 2026.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

The proposed scope would not include open boats nor boats with accommodation spaces that are powered solely by a portable outboard motor (including petrol, petroil, diesel, LPG or electric power) and having no installed fuel system, and no installed electrical system(s), having no stowed spare fuel and having no fuel-burning appliances.

The inland waterways Boat Safety Standards Setting Forum comprises of three navigation authorities – the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, the Broads Authority and Association of Inland Navigation Authorities (AINA) representative member. The Forum is the route to how the Authorities discharge their statutory boat safety functions through the Boat Safety Scheme Limited (BSS) as set out in the navigation authorities' joint Memorandum of Understanding.

The Forum’s role is to review and agree, amend or decline recommendations from the BSS related to the Boat Safety Standards which then in turn link to how the BSS Requirements, Checks, Examinations and policies are applied to boats on implemented waterways.

Contact

BSS Media Team 0333 202 1000