“Don’t put yourself or the crew at risk - get your lifejacket serviced today.”
That’s the appeal from chandlers nationwide during National Water Safety Week, which runs until June 23rd.
Nick Bendon of CH Marine, a company leading in sea safety across commercial and marine leisure sectors, has a nationwide service station. The company has serviced thousands of lifejackets. "Alarmingly, a significant proportion of these do not work," he told Afloat.
"The lifejackets may look 'ok' on the outside, but an unsuspecting wearer may not be aware of any problem", he says.
To highlight the problem, he drew up a list of the top five faults, which repeat year after year.
- The gas cylinder is loose
- The gas cylinder has been fired
- The gas cylinder or operating head is simply missing
- The lifejacket has never been checked and is often ten years old
- The wearer believes the lifejacket is automatic when in fact, it is manual
As regular Afloat readers know, Bendon produces tip sheets to heighten awareness, and a copy of the tip sheet is downloadable below as a PDF.
In Dun Laoghaire, at Ireland's biggest boating centre, Viking Marine's Ian O'Meara said that it is vital to understand the importance of lifejacket checks and self-checks.
Manufacturers, safety bodies, training institutes, and the RNLI universally recommend the regular servicing of lifejackets.
Pierce Purcell, who is a long-time member of Galway Bay Sailing Club and involved with sailing, training as well as involvement in the marine industry, says that he regularly makes a point of asking boat owners if they have checked their lifejackets.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that a lot of people don’t!” he says.
“Some people are incredibly careful and get their lifejackets inspected every year,” he adds.
Brothers Pierce Jnr and Mark Purcell and their service manager, Gavin, are involved with lifejacket servicing on a daily basis for sailors, fishermen, public service and emergency service groups.
Pierce Jnr says it is one of the most important safety kits on any boat and that it can save your life.
“Sometimes boat owners concentrate on the varnish or nicely painted bottom hull and leave checking the jacket until last or worse still until next year!” he notes.
Manufacturers recommend a yearly inspection by a trained technician and experienced lifejacket technical service engineer.
Approved service centres put all lifejackets through a full inspection, visual and pressure tested, and parts inspected and replaced as needed.
All lifejackets serviced are issued with a service record certificate, which indicates the lifejacket serial numbers, what parts were replaced, and any relevant comments about the jacket.
An unserviced lifejacket could have expired parts, wear and tear, hole in the bladder or loose parts so it is important to ensure they are checked regularly, the Purcells state.
