NSW Maritime has launched a campaign to warn of the dangers of boat propellers.
Entitled Take Care – Be Prop Aware, the aim of the campaign is to reduce boat propeller injuries.
Minister for Ports and Waterways, Paul McLeay said Maritime records showed five people had died and 46 had suffered injuries after being struck by a spinning propeller over the past six years.
“These injuries can be devastating,” Mr McLeay said.
Campaign to point out dangers
“The fact they are preventable makes awareness of this issue vital. Propellers may be out of sight, and therefore out of mind, but the hazards are very real.”
He said the campaign aimed to remind skippers of basic safety tips such as keeping a proper lookout at all times, keeping clear of all swimmers and turning the engine off when near people in the water as propellers could continue to spin, even when in neutral.
Mr McLeay said skippers should consider wearing a lanyard kill-switch to stop the engine if they fell out of the boat and should ensure all passengers in the boat had their arms and legs inside the gunwales at all times.
“People who fall overboard are particularly at risk, especially those boating alone who may be run over by their own boat if they are not wearing an engine kill-switch lanyard,” he said.
Skippers are also reminded that bow riding or “teak surfing” (holding onto the back of a boat while it is underway) is illegal in NSW.
Mr McLeay said the area around the propeller should be considered a ‘hazard zone’ as a typical three-bladed propeller spinning at around 3,200rpm could make more than 160 impacts per second.
“A fast spinning boat propeller blade can travel from head to toe in an average person in less than one tenth of a second, causing multiple deep wounds,” he said.
“Boat propeller injuries, if not fatal, are usually severe and disfiguring, resulting in prolonged disability and permanent impairment.”
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