Lifejacket FAQs

A lifejacket is designed to provide airway support and, depending on its performance level and the conditions, assist in turning a wearer towards a face-up position. A level 50 buoyancy aid is intended for sheltered waters where help and rescue are close and requires active participation by the wearer. It should not be treated as a substitute for a lifejacket where unconscious-person support or a higher performance level is required.

The rating describes a performance level, not simply the size of the wearer. ISO 12402 level 150 lifejackets are intended for general, offshore or rough-water use, including fully clothed users. Level 275 lifejackets are intended for offshore use in severe conditions or where protective clothing or additional loads are carried. The correct choice must also consider approval, clothing, tools, freeboard, inflation method and the vessel’s risk assessment.

No. Body weight alone is not a reliable selection rule because human bodies already have natural buoyancy. Use the manufacturer’s stated wearer range and fit requirements, then assess clothing, PPE, tools, operating conditions and approval requirements. A higher performance level may be appropriate for other reasons, but it should not be selected from body weight alone.

Protective clothing can trap air or create buoyancy in positions that affect turning performance. ISO level 275 products are specifically intended for severe offshore conditions and use with protective clothing or additional loads, but this does not make every 275N model suitable for every clothing system. The complete combination should be assessed in accordance with the lifejacket and garment manufacturers’ instructions and the vessel’s risk assessment.

Foam lifejackets provide inherent buoyancy without inflation and are often selected for straightforward readiness and storage applications. Inflatable lifejackets can provide greater freedom of movement but contain operating components that require inspection and servicing. Hybrid lifejackets combine inherent and inflatable buoyancy. The task, snagging risk, heat or flame exposure, maintenance capability, required approval and wearer comfort should determine the choice.

SOLAS carriage requirements and the IMO Life-Saving Appliance Code apply to life-saving appliances carried on ships covered by the relevant maritime rules. ISO 12402 defines performance levels and safety requirements for personal flotation devices. An ISO-approved lifejacket is not automatically a SOLAS-approved lifejacket, and a product must be selected for the vessel, flag, application and required approval.

No. CE marking under applicable European product legislation does not by itself demonstrate compliance with SOLAS or the IMO LSA Code. Marine equipment subject to SOLAS carriage requirements may require marine type approval and, for equipment placed on EU-flagged ships under the Marine Equipment Directive, the wheelmark. Always verify the certificate and intended use.

The wheelmark is the conformity mark used for marine equipment covered by the EU Marine Equipment Directive. It shows that the equipment has passed the applicable conformity assessment for the stated marine-equipment requirements. The certificate, product identification and approved configuration must still match the equipment supplied and the intended installation.

Newton is a unit of force. In a lifejacket description it relates to buoyant force, while designations such as level 150 and level 275 refer to defined performance categories. The actual declared buoyancy of a particular model may be above the nominal performance-level number, so the product datasheet and certificate should be checked rather than relying on the category name alone.

Please provide the vessel name, IMO number where relevant, flag, vessel type, operating area, intended task, wearer size, clothing and carried equipment, preferred inflation method and any certificate wording required by the customer or authority. If replacing existing equipment, photographs of the label, approval marking and part number are particularly useful.

An inherently buoyant foam lifejacket must be type approved for the relevant SOLAS and IMO LSA Code requirements, tested under the applicable IMO test recommendations and supplied in the approved configuration. A product that floats, carries a CE mark or complies with an ISO performance level is not automatically SOLAS approved. Check the product marking, certificate, manufacturer, model, size category and included fittings against the intended vessel and flag.

The SOLAS baseline is one compliant lifejacket for every person onboard. In addition, the ship must carry sufficient lifejackets for persons on watch and for remotely located survival-craft stations. Passenger ships, children, infants and particular stowage arrangements create further requirements. The statutory inventory should therefore be calculated from the vessel’s approved LSA plan and applicable flag-state rules, not from crew numbers alone.

In addition to the lifejackets required under SOLAS regulation III/7, a passenger ship must carry additional lifejackets for not less than 5% of the total number of persons onboard. These reserve lifejackets are to be stowed in conspicuous places on deck or at muster stations. Further units may be necessary where normal passenger stowage could become inaccessible or impede evacuation.

Lifejackets suitable for children must equal at least 10% of the number of passengers onboard, or such greater number as is needed to provide one for every child. On passenger-ship voyages of less than 24 hours, infant lifejackets must equal at least 2.5% of the number of passengers onboard. On voyages of 24 hours or more, one must be provided for every infant onboard. The correct size categories and current flag implementation must be verified.

Lifejackets must be readily accessible and their positions plainly indicated. Additional units for persons on watch should be stowed on the bridge, in the engine control room and at other manned watch stations. Units for remotely located survival-craft stations must be positioned for that purpose. Passenger-ship reserve lifejackets are stowed conspicuously on deck or at muster stations. The arrangement must support orderly distribution and must not obstruct evacuation.

The approved design is evaluated for matters including donning, fit, buoyancy and stability, ability to support the airway, turning performance, jump performance, swimming and survival-craft boarding, strength, flame exposure and loss of buoyancy after immersion. The detailed criteria depend on the current LSA Code and approved size category. These are type-approval tests; they should not be recreated onboard as informal acceptance tests.

The lifejacket must correspond to its approved configuration and identification. Depending on the applicable requirements, this includes the approved whistle, retroreflective material, lifejacket light, size or wearer category, manufacturer and model identification, approval marking and donning information. Do not replace or add fittings unless they are approved or documented as compatible with that exact lifejacket.

Check the valid type-approval certificate, the exact manufacturer and model reference, applicable SOLAS/LSA Code basis, size categories, approved accessories and product marking. For equipment supplied under the EU Marine Equipment Directive, also check the wheelmark and EU Declaration of Conformity. The certificate and declaration must correspond to the product actually delivered, not merely to a similar product family.

If the adult lifejackets carried are not designed to fit persons weighing up to 140 kg with a chest girth up to 1,750 mm, SOLAS requires sufficient suitable accessories to be available so the lifejackets can be secured to such persons. The accessory must be suitable for the approved lifejacket; improvised webbing or unapproved modifications are not an acceptable substitute.

Follow the manufacturer’s pre-use procedure. Typical checks include the cover, webbing, buckles, stitching, bladder, oral-inflation tube, inflation mechanism, status indicators, cylinder security, signs of corrosion, light and other fitted accessories. Confirm that the lifejacket is correctly armed, within any stated service or expiry date, and adjusted to the wearer. Remove it from service if damage, uncertainty or an incorrect status indication is found.

There is no safe universal interval for every lifejacket and every vessel. The applicable flag-state rules, approval, manufacturer instructions, onboard safety-management system and service history must be followed. As one example, UK MCA guidance requires SOLAS-certificated inflatable life-saving appliances on UK ships to be serviced at intervals not exceeding 12 months unless a specific provision or authorised exception applies.

No, not where approved professional servicing is required. Routine onboard inspections are essential for readiness, but they do not replace work prescribed for an approved or manufacturer-authorised service station. Commercial non-SOLAS equipment may also have specific servicing rules. Confirm the requirements for the flag, vessel and exact make and model.

Yes. MariTeam can arrange professional servicing of inflatable lifejackets and inflatable liferafts through our sister company, DK-Sea Safety. The service scope is confirmed against the equipment’s manufacturer, make and model, approval and the vessel’s applicable flag-state requirements before the equipment is accepted. DK-Sea Safety is included in the Danish Maritime Authority’s list of authorised service stations for inflatable liferafts and inflatable lifejackets. See the Danish Maritime Authority’s authorisation list.

Replacement periods are component- and manufacturer-specific. Do not apply one fixed interval across all brands. Replace a component when it has operated, is damaged or corroded, fails an inspection, is outside its marked expiry or service date, does not meet the manufacturer’s weight or status requirements, or is due under the approved service instructions. Use only compatible parts specified for the lifejacket.

Treat the lifejacket as unavailable until it has been handled in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. It may require rinsing, drying, inspection, leak testing, rearming and repacking by a competent or authorised person. Never repack a damp bladder, reuse a fired cylinder or assume that an automatic component remains serviceable after activation.

There is no single service life for every lifejacket. Condition, material ageing, exposure to UV, chemicals, heat, abrasion and salt water, frequency of use, storage, inspection results, spare-part availability and manufacturer limits all matter. A lifejacket should be withdrawn when it fails inspection or servicing, reaches a manufacturer-defined limit, loses approval status for the intended use or can no longer be maintained correctly.

A manual inflatable lifejacket requires the wearer to pull the operating handle. An automatic mechanism is designed to activate after water entry, while a hydrostatic mechanism is designed to activate under specified water-pressure conditions. Each has advantages and limitations. Selection should reflect the task, likelihood of spray or accidental immersion, fall-overboard scenario, PPE and the ability of the wearer to operate the system.

If a crotch strap is part of the approved lifejacket configuration, it should be fitted and used as instructed by the manufacturer. It helps limit the lifejacket riding up and supports correct positioning in the water. The strap must be adjusted correctly; a loose, incorrectly routed or incompatible strap can compromise fit.

Wear and adjust it exactly as shown in the manufacturer’s instructions, normally where it can inflate without obstruction. Check compatibility with foul-weather clothing, immersion or flotation suits, fall-arrest equipment, safety harnesses, radios and tools. Do not route straps, lanyards or equipment across an inflatable chamber unless the approved instructions specifically permit it.

No universal guarantee should be made. Turning performance depends on the approved design, performance level, fit, body position, sea state, trapped air, clothing, footwear and carried equipment. Select a lifejacket with the required performance and approval, wear it correctly and assess it as part of the complete clothing and equipment system.

Only use accessories that are approved or confirmed as compatible with the exact lifejacket and intended use. An accessory can affect inflation, packing, snagging, visibility, weight distribution or the product’s approved configuration. Where approval is required, confirm that the accessory and installation method are covered by the relevant documentation.

Store them dry, accessible and protected from contamination, crushing, sharp objects, excessive heat, sunlight and chemicals, following the manufacturer’s instructions and the vessel’s emergency plan. They should be identifiable, correctly positioned for their assigned use and available without obstruction. Storage arrangements must not damage inflatable chambers, covers or operating components.