The very name of a lifejacket infers its purpose is to save a life. In the more official jargon, it is known as a "personal floatation device", a term that also infers it will keep a wearer afloat. Will it?? And are they all designed in such a manner that they will adequately protect the life of the user?
Every vessel, be it a recreational vessel or a commercial vessel, is required by the Coast Guard to have sufficient lifejackets for all persons aboard. They are designed to specifications set forth by the Coast Guard in 46 CFR 160 and tested by a recognized laboratory to assure they meet the design standards and the floatation tests.
Each year over a thousand recreational boaters lose their lives on the water. Most are not wearing a lifejacket, but some are, and for various reasons a few of these jackets do not meet the standards of the regulations. Some are improperly designed, others are not properly maintained by the owner prior to use.
In some jackets, the floatation material is contained in watertight plastic envelopes. When the jackets are subjected to mechanical abuse such as sitting on them, the plastic envelop can become punctured. If the jacket is then subjected to water from rain, the spray from the seas, or bilge water, the floatation material can become soaked. During routine tests of jackets in service by the Coast Guard, a few have been found to actually sink when dropped into the water. This is usually because they have not been properly maintained. Imagine what would have happened should someone have used that particular jacket in an emergency.
In other instances, new jackets have been found to turn the wearer's face down in the water when the design standards require them to keep the face above water.
The July 1988 issue of Consumer Reports has an interesting article on their tests of various "type three" jackets approved by the Coast Guard. Their findings indicate that some of the jackets tested have not been satisfactory. This is consistent with some of MEC's clients cases.
A raft passenger is thrown overboard during his trip down a white water river. He was wearing a jacket when he was last seen, but when his body was found, the jacket had disappeared. Was the design reasonable for the intended use??? Could it slip off unintendedly?? Should it have been designed so that this could not have happened?
These are questions which MEC experts can help evaluate and if desired, testify about the results in court. If the actual jacket in question can be preserved, it can be evaluated to see if it meets all Coast Guard standards. If not, tests should be done on a new jacket purchased from the same source (hopefully from the same manufacturer's lot of jackets). Questions on the procedures can be answered by calling MEC.
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