Environment and Safety Standards

The Environment and Safety Standards Unit activities are classified under coastal state functions and inland waterway activities. The unit provides policies, inspections, permit issuance, and enforcement of regulations to ensure the safety and protection of the maritime environment.​

The Environment and Safety Standards Unit, a part of the Technical Services Division, implements the Maritime Pollution Act, 2016 (Act 932), and international maritime environment and safety regulations. It regulates port waste management organizations, conducts audits, inspections, and issues permits. The unit ensures maritime environment safety, coordinates oil spill preparedness, monitors ship scrapping activities, and oversees compliance of maritime service providers and small-scale boat builders with environmental standards.

Ghana is blessed with lakes and rivers, which provide livelihood and serve as a means of transportation for various communities. Most of the boats used are wooden artisanal boats, although there are some steel boats used for transportation under the management of the Volta Lake Transport Company. Currently, various companies have received permits to build modern steel boats as a means of fading out the wooden artisanal boats, which are prone to accidents. While there are many rivers, the majority of the work of the Ghana Maritime Authority is focused on Volta Lake due to the effect of its creation on the local communities. However, the authority is taking steps to extend its activities to other major rivers and lakes as well. The creation of the Volta Lake in 1965 resulted in the communities along the Volta Lake basin being heavily dependent on lake transportation for their social and economic activities. Over the years, however, accidents on the lake have become rampant. The Authority regulates the activities on Volta Lake by setting up various offices across key landing sites to aid in monitoring, surveying, educating, and enforcing regulations with the aim of ensuring that environmental and safety standards are maintained.
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The Authority achieves its mandate in the inland waterways by coordinating with the Ghana Navy while ensuring community engagements. The Authority aims to ensure that safety standards are improved and transportation accidents are forestalled through the following measures:

1. Safety Code

The Authority developed a Lake Safety Code to provide information and educate boat operators and users on safety guidelines. Weather forecasts are sent to district assemblies for use in boat sailing. This development has been made possible through an arrangement between the GMA and the Ghana Meteorological Agency.

2. Enforcement of Safety Measures

Safety on Volta Lake is currently enforced by the Ghana Maritime Authority in collaboration with naval detachments known as the Naval Task Force (NTF). The task force ensures adherence to safety measures and checks against practices such as overloading, drunkenness, sailing in bad weather on the lake, etc. Currently, there are six (6) Naval Detachments stationed along the Volta Lake at Kpando Torkor, Yeji, Tapa Abotoase, Dambai, Kete-Krachi, and Akosombo.

3. Boat Inspections and Surveys

The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) conducts regular surveys and inspections on transport boats operating on the Volta Lake to ensure the boats are lake-worthy and also carry the appropriate navigational safety devices such as lights, fire extinguishers, and life jackets.

4. Assignment of Load Line Mark

Boats are constantly surveyed and marked with maximum load lines to give an indication of passenger and cargo-carrying capacities to prevent overloading.

5. Boat Safety Education Program

Regular safety educational programs and exercises are conducted at landing sites on Volta Lake. The program includes free distribution of leaflets on the Inland Waterway Safety Code, a demonstration of basic seamanship, and the use of navigational safety devices such as life jackets and fire extinguishers. Regular training courses on competency are organized for boat operators and outboard motor mechanics.

6. Removal of Tree Stumps

To ensure the safety of navigation, the removal of the tree stumps and charting up the Volta Lake continue to be a top priority for the Ghana Maritime Authority. In furtherance of this objective, the authority contracted Kete-Krachi Timber Recovery Limited to remove tree stumps in fairways on the lake.

7. Casualty Investigation

Provisions with the Ghana Shipping Act and internal policies guide the appointment of personnel for conducting casualty investigations, as well as the process of casualty investigation. A casualty investigation is conducted within the internal waters of Ghana, within the ports, and on the coastline of Ghana. The Ghana Maritime Authority has developed the framework for the establishment of a marine accident investigation board with the expertise of conducting investigations into various accidents that occur within the inland waterways and the coastline of Ghana. The Marine Accident Investigation Board will be tasked with providing recommendations that will help prevent accidents or minimize the effect of maritime accidents.