JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • FOGHORN 31 SAFETYMATTERS Inspection of Machinery Alarms on Small Passenger Vessels. One final policy letter regarding the testing of electronic overspeed trips on generators has far-reaching implica- tions beyond small passenger vessels and is being disseminated to other domestic fleets. At the partnership meeting, the Coast Guard committed to disseminating information to their inspectors to indicate applicability to small passenger vessels. Safety Management Systems The final working group to be closed out at the partnership meeting involved Flagship, PVA’s Safety Management System (SMS) program. As has been reported previously in FOGHORN, on June 12, 2017, the Coast Guard recognized Flagship SMS as an acceptable method for developing a voluntary SMS. The Flagship working group has evolved over the last seven years when Beth Gedney and I (still in uniform), initiated the working group. The beta testers and user group provided valuable insights to make the document as user friendly and scalable as possible. Beth would be proud. New Initiatives The two issues that the partnership feels needs focused working groups are Lithium Ion Batteries and Illegal Charters. Charters for both of these working groups are in the final stages of drafting, but that has not stopped the groups to begin work. Lithium ion batteries on commer- cial vessels is an emerging techno- logical issue and the Coast Guard sees the use of batteries only increasing in coming years. The current Coast Guard regulations address lead acid battery installations. Mr. Ed Vaughn with PVA Associate Member Dejong and Lebet, Inc. in Jacksonville, FL, has assembled an impressive group of industry experts to provide insight to the Coast Guard as best practices are shared and recommendations provided. Illegal charters are a hot button that impacts the entire domestic industry. Articles have been written, outreach initiated, and we have seen varying degrees of success with Coast Guard enforcement efforts. What is missing is a cohesive education and outreach campaign for use by the industry and the Coast Guard. This is where the working group will focus their efforts. Captain Mike Borgstrom with Wendella Boats in Chicago is the lead PVA member of the group. By working together in the spirit of partnership, PVA and the Coast Guard will continue to improve the safety and security of the nation’s domestic passenger vessel industry. n