Life Jacket Safety: Do Life Jackets Expire?

Life jackets are lifesavers. They are used to provide safety in deep seas and help to float on water. They are designed to turn your face up and prevent you from drowning automatically. Aquatic play leaders use life jackets as personal rescue devices. They constitute a significant part of water safety.

Understanding the safety device

1. Life Jackets

All the life-saving jackets are designed to operate automatically when you fall into deep water. Life jacket safety lights are sealed water-activated battery lights that help manage the bulbs in life jackets. This allows the rescue teams to spot you and reach you at night.

The life jacket is made up of nylon or vinyl material. There are three classifications for the substances inside a life jacket. They are:-

1. Inherently buoyant 

In the past, material from a tropical tree was used for this type. The jackets are filled with plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene.

2. Inflatable

They contain cartridges filled with carbon dioxide. When activated, the gas will be filled inside the chambers. Some inflatable models will have a tab to activate them.

3. Hybrid

It is a combination of natural buoyancy and manual inflation. It is independent of the weight of the person. It will hold the person and float in the water.

Types of life jackets

1. Open water life jacket
2. Inshore water personal flotation device
3. Buoyancy vest
4. Throwable device
5. Specialist personal flotation device

Features

1. Life jackets are available in different sizes.
2. Lightweight material makes it comfortable to wear.
3. Keeps us floating in water irrespective of the weight of a person

What is the life of a life jacket?

There is no expiry date for life jackets. It is just a personal flotation device. If it gets torn or altered, it can be repaired and can last a lifetime.

Life jacket safety tips

1. Aquatic rescue leaders must ensure that everybody wears a life jacket before participating in any water activities.
2. One should check whether the life jackets are in good condition, with no holes or tears.
3. Underwater laboratories should test it.
4. It is very important to choose the right jackets for a person according to their height and weight.
5. Give necessary instructions to the people on how to use them and the proper way to wear life jackets.
6. While cleaning life jackets, don’t use harsh detergents. This will weaken the fabric.
7. Keep them dry after every use, but do not use dryers or radiation to dry them.

Also Read: Water Safety Tips

Rescue retrieval method

Life jacket lift

This is the quickest rescue retrieval method used by aquatic rescue play leaders. The weight of the person and the strength of the lifter also matter. Life jacket fitting should also be considered while lifting.

Life jackets are designed on the principle that prevention is better than a cure. The best and easiest method preferred by Aquatic rescue play leaders is the use of life jackets. They play a very important role in saving lives in water, and you must use the best quality life jackets to ensure maximum safety.