To ensure the safety of passengers and crew on DUKWs — amphibious vehicles also referred to as duck boats — the United States Coast Guard (USCG) should issue a range of new guidelines and requirements, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Although the number of WWII-era and other duck boats operating that are subject to USCG regulations has fallen drastically in recent years to fewer than 60, many are still used for touring the streets and waters of cities, such as Boston, Massachusetts, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Options for Improving the Safety of DUKW Type Amphibious Vessels recommends that the USCG use a consistent risk-assessment methodology and update its regulations and enforcement practices in a way that reflects the variable levels of risk to passengers and crew. The committee that wrote the report identified factors to distinguish between higher- and lower-risk operations for a vessel, including activity in high-traffic areas, exposure to wind and waves, the presence of a restrictive canopy, and the height it sits in the water (also known as freeboard).

“Properly updated duck boats operating with well-trained crews in protected waters can be made safer with mitigation measures as described in report,” said committee chair Eugene van Rynbach, chairman of Herbert Engineering Corp. “Clear risk assessment will allow the Coast Guard to focus its regulatory efforts and avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for all duck boat operators.”

The report lays out steps the Coast Guard should take to improve safety in higher-risk operations, including:

• Investigate methods and consider instituting requirements to reduce the chances of sinking, such as the use of external inflatable bladders, the installation of larger bilge pumps, and the permanent sealing of certain plugs and valves.

• Require the removal of canopies, unless they have been demonstrated not to obstruct the escape of passengers in emergency situations.

• Develop guidance for evaluating a duck boat’s operating areas, and leverage the National Weather Service’s severe weather alert system to help operators avoid wind and waves exceeding their vessel’s operating capabilities.

• Mandate that companies develop adequate operating and safety manuals that include procedures for monitoring and responding to changing weather conditions.

• Consider making the wearing of life jackets mandatory, and investigate the use of life jackets that are less bulky and take less time to put on, such as Type III jackets.

DETAILS: Options for Improving the Safety of DUKW Type Amphibious Vessels is available for immediate release. Media inquiries should be directed to the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.