NSW Maritime News - Take Care Be Prop Aware / Awareness of the ‘hazard zone’ is particularly important for people involved in tow sports like water-skiing and wakeboarding.

NSW Maritime has launched a new safety campaign to alert the boating community to the potential dangers of propellers.
Because they are under the water, ‘out of sight and out of mind’, boat propellers can be all too easily ignored. But a strike from a spinning propeller can cause serious injury or even death.
According to NSW Maritime records for the past six years, there have been 41 propeller strike incidents on NSW navigable waters, resulting in five fatalities, 39 serious and seven minor injuries.
The risks of serious injury are high for anyone in the water near moving powerboats. A typical three-bladed propeller spins at around 3200rpm and can make more than 100 impacts a second.
Swimmers, surfers, water-skiers and wakeboarders are all potentially vulnerable to prop strike. So are people who fall overboard, especially those boating alone who are at risk of being run over by their own boat if they are not wearing an engine kill-switch lanyard.

The hazard zone

The skipper of every boat is responsible for the safety of their passengers, so every skipper should be vigilant and consider the area around the prop as a ‘hazard zone’.
Before starting the motor, do a headcount to make sure all passengers are safely inside the boat and out of the hazard zone. Assign a responsible adult or adults to keep track of the whereabouts and safety of each child on board.
Many of us have seen children and other passengers dangling their legs over the side as a boat moves through the water. They think it’s fun and exciting. But it’s also extremely dangerous. Passengers riding with legs over the side can easily slip, fall in the water and be struck by a moving propeller.
From the helm, it’s often difficult to see swimmers in the water near the propeller. Go to the stern and look in the water near the propeller yourself, or appoint a lookout to do so before inserting the key in the ignition.
Being aware of the hazard zone is particularly important for people involved in tow sports like water-skiing and wakeboarding, and any time powerboats are used near swimmers or children, such as sailing schools and surf clubs.
It is also important to pass on the message about this hazard zone and the dangers of prop strike to inexperienced people who occasionally hire powerboats such as tinnies and houseboats.

Propeller precautions

NSW Maritime recommends the following basic safety guidelines:
    •    Inspect the area near the back of the boat to ensure the area is all clear before starting the engine.
    •    Turn the engine off near people in the water as some propellers may continue to spin, even in neutral.
    •    Keep a proper lookout at all times when underway, especially when near swimmers.
    •    Stay out of designated swimming areas.
    •    Observe ‘distance off’ rules and keep clear of people in the water, passive craft and other vessels.
    •    Brief any person driving the powerboat on the risks.
    •    Keep all arms and legs inside the boat and not over the bow or sides. Bowriding and ‘teak surfing’ (holding onto the stern of a boat that is underway) are illegal in NSW.
    •    Wear a kill-switch lanyard when boating alone. A kill-switch lanyard is attached to the arm and stops the engine when pulled out.
Skippers can also consider technology such as wireless engine cut-off switches, propeller guards and alternative propulsion systems.
The best action, however, is for skippers to take care and encourage all to be prop aware.
More information on prop strike and boating safety can be found at www.maritime.nsw.gov.au.