Changes to Division 240 in 2024

As we mentioned in a previous article: Division 240 is a regulatory text concerning pleasure vessels and boats measuring up to 24 meters in length. It is the essential regulation that defines the mandatory equipment and safety gear to be carried on board each vessel. Every boater must be aware of it and ensure compliance!

You probably know this: in addition to knowing the texts, boaters with motorboats or sailboats who wish to remain compliant must keep track of their evolution. Therefore, in this article, the Bateau-immatriculation.com team reviews an important modification to the legislation concerning the wearing of the kill cord.

It's that small piece of equipment you often wear on your wrist or ankle, depending on the motorized vessel you're navigating – whether it's a small or large outboard-powered craft, or a jet ski – Personal Watercraft.

The kill switch acts as a master switch: it is directly connected to your vessel's electrical system and ensures that your engine stops immediately when you move away from the helm. The purpose of a kill switch is to allow the vessel's captain and crew to remain safe on board and around the boat, especially in the event of a man overboard.

For these reasons, and rightly so, wearing a kill switch was already an integral part of Division 240. However, following numerous serious accidents at sea in recent years, it was decided that regulations regarding the wearing of this emergency device needed to evolve further.

It was at the end of 2023 that the regulations on wearing a kill cord were officially strengthened: the decree of 10/1/2023 of Division 240 Article 240-2.01 was published on 12/13/2023 in the Official Journal, with the aim of updating the decree of 11/23/1987.

The new regulation on wearing a kill cord has been applicable since 12/14/2023, by all boaters concerned.

The new regulation will be of interest to pilots of outboard-powered vessels with tiller steering as well as those with remote steering. Pilots of personal watercraft or jet skis are also concerned, according to the regulations applicable at the date of construction of their vessel.

This is the main change to Division 240 regarding wearing the kill cord: wearing the equipment is now mandatory for the skipper of an outboard boat or the pilot of a jet ski, as soon as the engine(s) of their vessel are started.

From the moment the engine(s) of the vessel are running, the pilot of the pleasure craft concerned is obliged to wear the kill cord at all times.

They can wear it on their arm or leg, but they are forbidden from attaching the safety equipment to another object, or from removing it. This applies regardless of the reason or duration of the event!

The regulations also prohibit modifying or moving the kill switch. Since it's impossible to remove your tether from the kill switch during a maneuver, when accessing a locker, or when arriving in port, it is not permitted to move or modify the safety equipment, especially to extend it.

For safety reasons, the amended Division 240 therefore requires the boater, as soon as the vessel's engine is running, to remain near the helm. Regardless of the conditions encountered during navigation, the vessel's operator will only be able to leave the helm and move about the boat's deck under two conditions: if the vessel's engine has been turned off, or if they have ensured that the vessel's propeller cannot be engaged.

Another change to the regulations we've known until now: Division 240 now requires a second wired or electronic kill cord to be carried on board a motor vessel, to be used as a replacement kill cord. The location of this new onboard equipment must also be indicated, to enable any crew member to assist the skipper in the event of falling overboard.

With the second kill cord, a crew member remaining on board could then restart the engine(s), take the helm, and rescue the helmsman who went overboard with the first kill cord.

The regulations regarding wearing a kill switch on board pleasure craft with outboard motors or for Personal Watercraft operators are not the only ones that have undergone changes.

The decree of 10/01/2023 also establishes the obligation for jet ski or PWC operators to systematically wear a neoprene wetsuit with a minimum thickness of 2 millimeters. This protective element is in addition to the already required personal flotation device, again with the aim of preventing injuries.

Would you like to know more about the modification of Division 240, or do you need clarification on the regulations applicable to your particular case? Contact the expert team at Bateau-immatriculation.com! We will be happy to answer your questions.