With the new season ahead, it’s time to start thinking about water safety, particularly your life jacket, an essential piece of lifesaving equipment.
Like anything exposed to the elements, life jackets will suffer wear and tear over the years and so it’s crucial to look after them, so they work effectively when needed.
For recreational users, the recommendation is to service inflatable life jackets once a year through an authorised service provider. Servicing is a legal requirement for professional and commercial use (following SOLAS guidelines) and must also be done annually at an approved service station.
Your service provider will perform several tests, such as the pressure or inflation test, where they overinflate the bladder under controlled conditions and monitor the temperature and pressure over time. If a life jacket fails this test, it likely won’t work as intended in a real-life scenario. A visual inspection of the parts will also take place (bladder cover, webbing straps, stitching, clips, buckles CO2 bottle). If any part is corroded, damaged or outdated they will replace it or recommend a new life jacket where fixing is not possible. They will also issue a certificate for serviced life jackets that pass these tests.
If your life jacket is old, more than ten years, it's a good time to consider a new one, as life jacket technology has seen impressive innovations in recent years. Mustang Survival’s new Atlas 190 has won multiple awards, including the Prestigious Red Dot Design award, the Miami Innovation Award , and Time Magazine’s Innovation of The Year. With many designs on the market, it’s important to prioritise the correct fit based on your weight and size; in addition, choose the right buoyancy level for the activity you’re undertaking and the water conditions, ensuring it has the right safety approvals, features and, above all, it’s comfortable.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have recently developed an online tool for seafarers looking for approved service providers. You can access the tool here.
To service a Mustang Survival life jacket please use one of our approved service providers, Suffolk Marine Safety, Spares Marine or Sea Safe Systems.
