PFD report

Peter Richard DOLAN · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 11 Jul 2024•Cheshire

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
2

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Lack of a smoke-alarm requirement for boats not used for overnight hire
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Actions described in response An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.2

  1. Action

    Secure agreement with the National Fire Chiefs Council to share fire-incident data for evidence on smoke-alarm protection and fire-spread risks.

    Stated by Boat Safety Scheme LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 30 July 2024.
  2. Action

    Conduct a public consultation on researching evidence for a mandatory smoke-alarm requirement for boats participating in the Boat Safety Scheme.

    Stated by Boat Safety Scheme LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 30 July 2024.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.2

  1. Position

    Responsibility for the safety of people aboard privately owned boats rests with the boat owner, rather than the Boat Safety Scheme.

    Stated by Boat Safety Scheme LimitedRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of a smoke-alarm requirement for boats not used for overnight hire

Wider context from the report

“Peter Dolan lived on a narrowboat which caught fire during the early hours of 8th March 2024. An investigation by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service revealed that the likely ignition source was hot embers ejected from a solid fuel stove, and that there was no evidence of any smoke alarm having been fitted within the boat. The position of Peter's body indicated that he was lying on a sofa when he died. It is presently a legal requirement that of BSS that boats be fitted with carbon monoxide alarms, but there is no requirement that boats be fitted with smoke alarms (unless it is a hire boat for overnight accommodation). Any equivalent requirement for all other boats may reduce the likelihood of further fatalities arising from smoke inhalation and/or burns. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Secure agreement with the National Fire Chiefs Council to share fire-incident data for evidence on smoke-alarm protection and fire-spread risks.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We can see the theoretical routes aimed at reducing the risk of boat fires spreading (one of our roles), but finding tangible examples to support the theories is difficult as Fire and Rescue Services are not routinely providing such information, albeit we have sought and had agreement from the National Fire Chiefs Council for the sharing of fire incident data. In case you harbour a question, the introduction of the mandatory BSS requirement for carbon monoxide alarms on boats in 2019 was grounded on evidence of carbon monoxide produced on one boat potentially entering adjacent boats and so third parties were at risk.”

Source location

Response from Boat Safety Scheme
Page 1 · response
Published 30 July 2024

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Conduct a public consultation on researching evidence for a mandatory smoke-alarm requirement for boats participating in the Boat Safety Scheme.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Notwithstanding all of the above, and more aligned to your recommendation, the BSS is committed to a public consultation by the end of this year on the commendation to research if evidence exists to introduce a mandatory requirement for all boats on waterways participating in the BSS, to be fitted with a smoke alarm.”

Source location

Response from Boat Safety Scheme
Page 1 · response
Published 30 July 2024

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Responsibility for the safety of people aboard privately owned boats rests with the boat owner, rather than the Boat Safety Scheme.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The difference is that Boat Safety Standards exist to support the duties of care of the navigation authorities and in regard to boats in private ownership and use, those duties are to ‘third parties’, i.e. people and property beyond the confines of the boat such as other visitors to the waterways, neighbours of the waterways, and the staff and volunteers working on our waterways. Ultimately, on private boats, it is the boat owner who bears the responsibility for the safety of those aboard. Conversely, following the principles of the Visitor Safety Group and National Water Safety Forum, people aboard a boat let out for hire fall within that third-party category and thus hired craft must meet several higher standards, including having suitable working smoke alarms.”

Source location

Response from Boat Safety Scheme
Page 1 · response
Published 30 July 2024

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The consultation on mandatory smoke alarms cannot yet be finalised because sufficient, supportable evidence of protection is unavailable.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Notwithstanding all of the above, and more aligned to your recommendation, the BSS is committed to a public consultation by the end of this year on the commendation to research if evidence exists to introduce a mandatory requirement for all boats on waterways participating in the BSS, to be fitted with a smoke alarm.”

Source location

Response from Boat Safety Scheme
Page 1 · response
Published 30 July 2024

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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026