Raft companies, canoe outfitters, outdoor youth programs - institutional or commercial operators who provide PFD's or life jackets to clients need to have some process in place to prove that the devices are inspected and maintained. Here is a simplified process to ensure the PFD's you provide will do what is expected of them (#1: stay on, #2 float the person) and show due diligence in taking care of your clients.
Different countries use the terms life jacket and personal
flotation device (PFD) differently - not of concern here - the terms are used
interchangeably for this article.
1 - Buy PFD's or life jackets suited to the intended
activity and body size of the intended user. For outdoor programs that likely
means a Type III foam vest for basic paddling or on water activities, Type V
for whitewater or rescue PFD's, or potentially inflatable PFD's. Kids' foam
vests need to be differently sized than those intended for adults (recall goal
#1, above, to stay on). Inflatable vests are not recommended for youth programs
or for moving water activities.
2 - Ensure that the PFD's are certified by Transport Canada,
the U.S. Coast Guard, or your national body. UL certified means the design has
been tested and certified by an independent agency.
3 - Label the devices so they can be recognized. This would
be a number and purchase date, such as 2025-01. The label needs to be durable
enough to last the life of the device given sun exposure, water submersion and
regular cleaning.
4 - Store the items so they can dry between uses and stay
out of the sun.
5 - Budget for replacement every 5 years, approximately.
There is no consistent or hard rule recommended by either certifying bodies or
manufacturers on mandatory retirement, so variables such as UV exposure, fabric
wear, days of use, and passing regular float tests may extend or shorten this
timeline. Foam floats due to trapped air in the material. This material will
break down over time even with zero use. Compression (such as sitting on a PFD)
speeds this process.
6 - Float test annually or before use. You need to be able
to prove you knew the PFD you issued to your client will float them. This is
done by either buying all new PFD's annually, or by (more reasonably) regularly
float testing them.
Float Test Plan A - fleet testing:
There are myriad variables to consider if you choose to. I
direct you to the Archimedes' principle if you want to get into the
needless details of buoyancy and floatable weight. Bottom line is that the
device has to float the weight it is rated for, written on its inside
label.
In Canada at Type III foam vest has to float 15.5 pounds.
Therefore, you need to simply attach 16 or more pounds to the vest and ensure
that it floats this weight. If the vest sinks or hovers below the surface, then
it fails the test and needs to be destroyed. *returning to Archimedes, a 16
pound weight actually weighs less than 16 pounds once submerged. Alternatively,
a staff person could put on each device and jump in the water - more tedious
process, but one I know at least a couple different operators use.
This type of testing is to be done annually, before the
season starts. Each device is tested and recorded on an inspection form. Any
device not tested is not put on a client.
I'm not a big fan of this plan, in that it ignores the
equally important aspects of buckles, zippers and seams being intact. Goal #1
to 'stay on' requires these things more than the foam inside. Float testing
only hits on #2 'float the person'.
Float Test Plan B - user testing:
My preferred test has the PFD or life jacket issued to the
client, adjusted to fit snugly, then all participants get in the water to
ensure they float that specific individual. There is no clearer way to prove
you knew the device you provided would float the individual. This takes care of
many variables and loose ends such as storage degradation, body shape and fit
issues, and differences in mass given a certain weight, salt vs. fresh water,
straps and zippers intact, among other variables. This also works for programs
that allow kids or adults to bring their own PFD if they choose to. The
operators' duty of care extends to ensure the gear your clients bring is
suitable and safe to use.
This float test is documented.
7 - Clean and inspect regularly. If Plan A is implemented -
the annual float test - then regular visual inspection is required to ensure
seems, straps and zippers are intact. These things are equally important to
make the device work. Surface dirt, bug spray, sunscreen or body oils will pass
through the nylon shell and erode the foam. Buckles and straps can be replaced,
but when seams split or the nylon shell tears the device fails and is
destroyed. This regular cleaning and inspection may or may be documented, given
operational restrictions.
See your manufacturer's recs for cleaning, storing and
replacing PFD's or lifejackets.
Inflatable PFD's provide much more care to purchase, maintain, and replace. From a risk standpoint, careful consideration needs to be taken if issuing this type of PDF to clients. Transport Canada requires annual testing (inflating) of each devise, which then implies the air cartridge will have to be replaced. Air cartridges and bobbins both come with expiry dates on them - record these upon purchase of the device and monitor for retirement and replacement. Extra cartridges need to go in the field in the event the device needs to be inflated and reused.
When PFD's are issued to workers, all of these steps above are expected with higher standards expected for documentation, training, inspection and testing. Local OHS regulations likely address these.
This PFD system is best when aligned with other aspects of
equipment management and integrated into systems and routines. Modifying
programming to ensure PFD's are sound and will take care of clients is a worth
while trade off.