Nautilus Boat Hire is a small family-owned and operated business. It operates from a marina at the mouth of a major river and has been operating for five years.
The business is based on:
hire of eight aluminium runabouts (tinnies) to youth groups, anglers and tourists
hire of two deep-sea vessels to serious anglers and scuba divers
hire of fishing gear
sale of bait and scuba tank refills
The business is considering an expansion that will include purchase of three houseboats for hire to families and groups of young adults.
They recently conducted a survey revealing that a significant number of clients are tourists from interstate or overseas. Most clients are once-only hirers who have no knowledge of local waters and weather conditions.
As part of their business planning, the company identified the following risks to the new business offerings:
people who are not strong swimmers, especially children, drowning
houseboats getting lost and/or driven on to sandbars
clients finding the houseboats difficult to control—resulting in damage to the houseboat and/or land structures when, for example, mooring
clients being sunburned and dehydrated on hot, sunny days
Using the information provided, describe the goals, objectives and targets that Nautilus Boat Hire should include in their risk management plan. These are the critical success factors relevant to the safety of the new operation. (A total of 350–370 words)