THE FUTURE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY REGULATORY SYSTEM

摘要

In May 1998, four Royal Australian Navy (RAN) personnel were tragically lost in a fire onboard HMAS WESTRALIA. In the post-accident analysis, it became evident that the RAN, like many other Navies, was unable to produce documentation or evidence that WESTRALIA met Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) or an equivalence. Although SOLAS compliance is not mandatory nor always practical for warships, there is a high expectation within the media and Australian community that it's Navy should not be exempt from the minimum commercial standards and civil occupational health and safety standards that applies to them. Whilst International Maritime Organisation regulations and the Commonwealth of Australia Navigation Act (1912) exempt warships from external regulation, there remains the threat that such exemption would be withdrawn should another major accident occur, systemic failures continue to exist and RAN be unable to demonstrate a strong robust safety management system. Consequently the RAN has in recent years been developing a system of self-regulation that is transparently equivalent to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. This paper provides an overview of the work being undertaken to define that regulatory system and overcome the problems inherent in implementing the system -understanding what regulation is, appreciating what standards we require as a Navy, breaking down the organisational stovepipes, and building a culture and system of ownership, responsibility and enforcement. This paper describes the work in progress as the RAN undergoes a cultural shift in assuming a regulatory role.