Canada: changes to the radio inspection certification

Transport Canada has issued a ship safety bulletin (SSB) informing about changes to the radio inspection certification, due to the termination of the Agreement Between Canada and the United States of America for Promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means of Radio, 1973.

Scope

This bulletin applies to Canadian vessels that are inspected and certified (Great Lakes Radio inspection certificate) under the Agreement Between Canada and the United States of America for Promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means of Radio, 1973 (GLA 1973).

Purpose

This bulletin is to inform you that as of November 2, 2023, the GLA 1973 will be terminated.

After this, vessels that were under the GLA 1973 will no longer need a radio inspection every 13 months.

Instead, these vessels will need to follow the radio inspection timeline set out in the policy on the Validity period of a Radio Inspection Certificate issued under the Navigation Safety Regulations, 2020.

What you need to know

After November 2, 2023, Canadian vessels operating in the Great Lakes, that are subject to radio inspections, will be eligible for a radio inspection certificate with a validity of up to 4 years.

This is outlined in section 240 of the Navigation Safety Regulations, 2020 (NSR 2020) and the policy on the Validity period of a Radio Inspection Certificate issued under the Navigation Safety Regulations, 2020.

Carriage requirements are not changing. Vessels must still comply with Sections 205 and 253 (5) of the NSR 2020.

You do not need to take any action. The new certificates will be phased in according to the table below.

Any inspection conducted on or after June 1, 2024, will be subject to a new certificate with a validity of up to 4 years.

Great Lakes radio inspection certificates issued before November 2, 2023, will remain valid until their expiration dates.