Life Jackets
UK
A life
jacket, vest or buoyancy aid is an essential safety item
for all watersports and water-related and near-water
activities. Each and every year there are thousands of
deaths in boating accidents. Life jackets could have saved
the lives of many boaters who drowned. More than 90% of
deaths in boating are from drowning, and research shows
that approximately eight out of every ten victims in fatal
boating accidents were not wearing life
jackets.
Nothing is more vital than feeling
completely safe when out at sea. Anytime anyone goes
boating, there's a chance to fall overboard. A PFD,
Personal Floatation Device, is designed to keep your head
above water and to help you remain in a position that
permits proper breathing. An average adult only needs
artificial buoyancy of 7 to 12 pounds to remain afloat, and
virtually all approved PFD's provide this amount of
floatation.
It is even more important to
wear a life jacket in the following situations:
When the boater cannot swim or is a weak swimmer
When boating alone
When the water is dangerously cold
During rough water, waves and severe weather conditions
When boating at night
In emergency situations
In swift and fast current situations
Buy a Life jacket -
and wear it
Pick a life jacket
that fits, and fits the type of boating you will be doing.
There are many that are comfortable and attractive, which means
you are much more likely to be wearing it if an emergency
arises. Never alter your PFD. Give it a trial test in shallow
water. Does it hold you up so that you can breathe easily?
Some foam vests have wide panels and some narrow, but this
doesn't matter. Fit does, though. A good vest will be
comfortable enough to wear all day. It will adjust, so that you
can wear it over either a t-shirt or a wetsuit. And it will
stay put when you're in the water. It will also make it easy
for you to float on your back with your face up and your legs
extended.
Inflatable Life
Jackets
Are They Right For
You?
Inflatable life jackets are nothing new, but are finally
gaining wider acceptance as more agencies recognize that their
comfort or wearability could translate to increased life jacket
use by the public. While inflatable life jackets are often
cooler and less bulky than traditional life jackets, they are
not the life jacket of choice for all boating situations.
Inflatable life jackets are:-
Sized for persons 17 years and older weighing more than 80
pounds
Not recommended for weak or non-swimmers
Not for water sports like skiing or whitewater boating
Not for use with personal watercraft
Not for children younger than 16 years of age
Some have an oral-tube-valve allowing the survivor to balance
the life jacket perfectly.
While all life jackets should be inspected from time to time to
ensure they are in serviceable condition, inflatable devices
should be looked over regularly to make sure the mechanism is
working properly. Use the following checklist as a guide for
evaluating inflatable life jackets: Don't wear a life jacket
that has torn or broken buckles. Don't wear a life jacket that
has rips, unattached webbing, or missing straps. Don't keep
life jackets with rotting material or parts showing excessive
wear. Do check the inflatable lanyard to see that it hangs
freely from the inflatable life jacket. Do make sure all
inflatable life jackets have a properly armed inflatable
mechanism.
Life Jacket Colour
Orange is a great color for life jackets because it is a very
bright color that you rarely find in nature. If you are trying
to rescue someone who has fallen overboard, you need to be able
to see them. If they are wearing a bright orange life jacket
you will be better able to see them than if their life jacket
were blue or green.
Does the life jacket fit?
Use the arms up to check if a life jacket fits. With the jacket
on, raise your arms high. If when looking to the left, right
and over the shoulder, the chest part of the jacket doesn't hit
the chin, the device probably fits. A good test for children is
to have a child stand normally, arms at sides. Grab the life
jacket at the shoulders and firmly lift up. If you can move the
life jacket more than three inches up and down the child's
body, it doesn't fit. A life jacket that doesn't fit could
endanger the wearer as much as not wearing one.
Buoyancy level of a life jacket
Many manufacturers produce life jackets with up to 62 lbs. or
28kg. of buoyancy.
In the UK, check that the supplier sells BSI approved life
jackets.
Is it suitable for swimmers and non-swimmers.
Is it needed for offshore and severe conditions, when maximum
protection is required or where heavy waterproof clothing is to
be worn.
Air only and air/foam life jackets, both automatic and manual,
are the norm for offshore sailing and cruising.
Maybe you only need a life jacket for relatively calm waters,
maybe dinghy sailing on a small lake, Buoyancy aids, not life
jackets are generally used for dinghy sailing.
Additional points
There are life jackets that have an additional distress light
providing better locating of survivors at night.
Do you prefer a side fastening or front?
Gas inflatable bladder or oral inflation?
Buoyant clothing is a dual-purpose garment and buoyancy
aid.
Children's Life
jackets
Life jackets for
youngsters
If your family enjoys boating, sailing, and canoeing on lakes,
rivers, and streams, be sure your children wear the correct
life jackets. If you do, they will be able to take part in
these activities more safely. Many children and adolescents
think life jackets and life preservers are hot, bulky, and
ugly. This is no longer necessarily true. Newer models look
better, feel better, and provide increased protection.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THESE TIPS
Your children should wear life jackets at all times when on
boats or near bodies of water.
Teach your child how to put on his or her own life jacket.
Make sure your child is comfortable wearing a life jacket and
knows how to use it.
Make sure the life jacket is the right size for your child. The
jacket should not be loose. It should always be worn as
instructed with all straps belted.
Blow-up water wings, toys, rafts, and air mattresses should
never be used as life jackets or life preservers. They are not
safe.
Adults should wear life jackets for their own protection and to
set a good example.
Life jackets for Pets
With all this talk about you, your family and friends, we must
not forget your pet dog or cat. Buy a life jacket for them as
well, so you are all safe.
Finally
No matter what the type of life jacket, the most significant
fact about life jackets is that they save lives. It is
important for recreational boaters to take the time to choose a
life jacket that they will wear, that meets the need of the
activity they are participating in, and that will work for the
environment to which they are exposed.
Throwable Device
These are designed to be thrown to a person in the water.
Throwable devices include boat cushions, ring buoys, and
horseshoe buoys. They are not designed to be worn and must be
supplemented by a wearable life jacket. It is important to keep
these devices immediately available for
emergencies.
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