Lifejackets

SOLAS-compliant lifejacket types + care + drill discipline + when to don + inflation testing.

Why it matters

SOLAS III/7 + III/22 require one lifejacket per person plus 5% for adults + child provision + additional lifejackets on watch stations + at each survival craft. Every crew member must be able to don a lifejacket unaided in under 60 seconds — the drill exists because in a real abandon-ship event, panic, cold, list, and darkness compress the available reaction time. Faulty inflation valves, corroded whistles, and missing lights kill more people than the water itself.

Common hazards

• Inflation cylinders discharged or corroded — jacket won't inflate.
• Whistle or light missing / non-functional — you can't signal.
• Retro-reflective tape faded or missing — you're invisible to rescuers.
• Straps + buckles crushed by stowage — the jacket won't stay on.
• Crew unable to don unaided — the drill has become a paper exercise.

Practical checklist

• Monthly visual inspection of every lifejacket on the master list.
• Annual inflation test of a rotating sample per SOLAS + LSA Code.
• Whistle + light + retro-reflective tape check on every unit.
• Cabin lifejackets stowed accessibly — no locked cupboard, no ladder access.
• Bridge + engine-room + Muster Station spare jackets ready + labelled.
• Abandon-ship drill — every crew member dons unaided under time.
• Post-drill: re-stow properly + log deficiencies in the LSA maintenance record.

Mistakes to avoid

• Wearing the lifejacket over foul-weather gear that traps the harness open — many drownings involve mis-strapped jackets.
• Signing off drills as complete when crew skipped the don-unaided step.
• Failing to replace a discharged inflation cylinder because "we're alongside anyway".

Last verified 3 months ago