Safe - Secure - Resilient

A Public Forum for Collaboration and Promotion of Safety on the Coastal Waterways of Northern and Central Massachusetts

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Harbor Safety Committees Designed for Success

Harbor Safety Committees (HSCs) are local committees that address issues that may include the safety, security, mobility, and environmental protection of a port or waterway. Membership is typically comprised of representatives of governmental agencies, maritime labor, industry organizations, and public interest groups. These members work closely together for the mutual benefit of all port users. Successful HSCs:

Are uniquely created to fit the specific needs of each port;
Provide a consensus-based approach to addressing port issues that facilitates
acceptance of decisions;
Address port issues and challenges with a system’s perspective – they take into
consideration that safety, security, environmental protection, and port efficiency
issues all interact and affect each other.

The Massachusetts Bay Harbor Safety Committee (MBHSC) is a public forum to facilitate discussion and exchange of ideas, thoughts and advice among all stakeholders on a wide range of issues relevant to the waterways of Massachusetts.

To report safety or security concerns within the USCG Sector Boston Area of Operations, please call 833-449-0539 or VHF Ch. 16.

Person in Black Shirt and Blue Denim Jeans Sitting on Boat

Local coordination plays a critical role in improving our Marine Transportation System

From An Eye on the Weather to Managing National Threat Alerts

Massachusetts Bay Harbor Safety Committee (MBHSC) is dedicated to promoting safety and waterway resilience for professional mariners, shippers, commuter ferries, and the recreational boater community.

MBHSC is a “Harbor Safety Committee” as defined in the U.S. DOT’s September 1999 Report to Congres “An Assessment of the U.S. Marine Transportation System”¹ and in subsequent U.S. Coast Guard Guidance on the establishment and development of harbor safety committees.

The MBHSC was originally chartered on February 1, 2013. governing the workings of the MBHSC are two Regional Safety Committees and associated Sub-Committees with oversight by a Managing Board.

MBHSC leaders take seriously their collective responsibility to address the unique challenges faced by our regional waterway stakeholders.

¹ U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/4377, June 2020, Washington, DC.

Letter to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture regarding boater safety