Marine safety service
Life Jacket Inspection & Reconditioning
Annual servicing of inflatable lifejackets, inspection of foam lifejackets and renewal of lights, cylinders and reflective tape to SOLAS and LSA Code requirements.
Overview
Life jacket inspection and reconditioning
Life jacket inspection and reconditioning keeps a ship’s lifejackets serviceable, correctly equipped and within date. Every person on board must have a lifejacket that fits, floats them face-up and can be seen and heard in the water. Inflatable lifejackets depend on gas cylinders, firing heads and bladders that deteriorate with time, while inherently buoyant (foam) lifejackets suffer from compression, torn covers, sun damage and expired lights.
vslSafety arranges approved servicing stations for inflatable lifejackets and technicians to inspect and recondition foam lifejackets on board, including renewal of lights, whistles and retro-reflective tape, and supply of compliant replacements where units are condemned.
Regulatory requirements and who can do the work
- SOLAS regulation III/7.2 requires a lifejacket for every person on board complying with paragraph 2.2.1 or 2.2.2 of the LSA Code, plus a sufficient number for persons on watch and remotely located survival craft stations. Passenger ships must also carry child lifejackets for at least 10% of passengers (or one per child if more) and infant lifejackets: at least 2.5% of passengers on voyages under 24 hours, and one per infant on longer voyages.
- If adult lifejackets are not designed for persons up to 140 kg and 1,750 mm chest girth, suitable accessories must be available to fit such persons.
- LSA Code section 2.2 sets the performance standard. Since resolution MSC.207(81) took effect on 1 July 2010, lifejackets are sized as adult, child (15 kg to under 43 kg) or infant (under 15 kg).
- LSA Code paragraph 2.2.3 requires each lifejacket light to give at least 0.75 cd in all directions of the upper hemisphere for at least 8 hours, in white.
- SOLAS regulation III/20.8.1 requires every inflatable lifejacket to be serviced at intervals not exceeding 12 months (extendable to 17 months by the Administration) at an approved servicing station.
- Foam lifejackets have no SOLAS servicing interval, but are covered by the monthly LSA inspection under SOLAS regulation III/20.7 and the annual safety equipment survey.
Inspection and servicing intervals
| Item | Requirement | Interval | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All lifejackets | Inspection with LSA checklist, logged | Monthly | SOLAS III/20.7 |
| Inflatable lifejackets | Service at approved station | Not exceeding 12 months (17 if extended) | SOLAS III/20.8.1 |
| Lifejacket lights | Replace battery or light before expiry | Maker’s expiry date | LSA Code 2.2.3; maker |
| Foam lifejackets | Condition check and replacement when defective | Monthly checks; annual survey | SOLAS III/20.7; flag |
| Lifejacket donning | Checked at abandon ship drill | Each drill | SOLAS III/19 |
What the service includes
- Count and reconciliation against the ship’s LSA plan, including watch station, remote station, child and infant lifejackets
- Visual inspection of covers, buoyancy material, straps, buckles, crotch straps and stitching
- For inflatables: oral inflation and pressure-hold test of the bladder over several hours
- Weighing of CO2 cylinders and checking of firing heads, automatic caps and service indicators
- Renewal of automatic inflation cartridges and bobbins at the maker’s intervals
- Checking and renewal of lifejacket lights, whistles and retro-reflective tape
- Marking with the service date and station, and repacking to the maker’s instructions
- Condemnation and replacement of lifejackets that fail tests or are beyond repair
Lifejacket types covered
Providers service SOLAS foam lifejackets for adults, children and infants, automatic and manual inflatable lifejackets used as working or crew lifejackets, and lifejackets fitted with lifting loops, sprayhoods or AIS personal locator beacons where the operator specifies them. Common makes include Viking, Survitec (Crewsaver, RFD), Hansen Protection, Lalizas, Besto and many Asian manufacturers. Inflatable lifejackets are normally serviced only by stations accredited by that maker.
Common defects and PSC deficiencies
- Lights missing, not working or past their expiry date
- Retro-reflective tape missing, peeling or insufficient
- Torn covers, crushed or hardened foam, or broken buckles
- Inflatable lifejackets overdue for servicing or with loose or corroded cylinders
- Not enough lifejackets at watch stations or remote survival craft stations
- Missing child or infant lifejackets on passenger ships, or stowage not clearly marked
These items are regularly found during port State control inspections and monthly LSA checks, and are simple to correct when planned.
Certificates and documents you receive
For inflatable lifejackets, the approved station issues a service certificate listing each serial number, tests performed, components replaced and the next due date. For foam lifejackets, you receive an inspection report with a count by location, defects found, items renewed and a list of units condemned. Where replacements are supplied, the type approval certificate (for example, MED or USCG) is provided with the delivery.
How to prepare the vessel
Gather the lifejackets to be serviced, or allow access to cabins, the bridge, engine control room and survival craft stations. Inflatable lifejackets may be serviced on board with a mobile team or sent to the station ashore; in the second case, arrange for enough spare lifejackets to remain compliant while in port. Combine the work with immersion suit inspection and safety equipment supply to replace condemned units in one visit.
Information needed for a quotation
- Vessel name, IMO number and flag
- Port, berth or anchorage, ETA and ETD
- Quantity of foam and inflatable lifejackets, by adult, child and infant
- Maker, model and type of each, and light type
- Last service date for inflatables
- Whether service should be on board or at the station
- Whether replacement lifejackets, lights or tape should be quoted
vslSafety coordinates a suitable approved station or provider at the vessel’s port; final acceptance rests with flag, class and the attending surveyor.
Frequently asked questions
How often do inflatable lifejackets need to be serviced?
SOLAS regulation III/20.8.1 requires inflatable lifejackets to be serviced at intervals not exceeding 12 months at an approved servicing station, with a possible extension to 17 months by the Administration where impracticable. Servicing covers bladder pressure testing, cylinder weighing and renewal of automatic components according to the maker’s instructions. Crew should still check the cylinders, indicators and covers during monthly inspections.
Do foam lifejackets have an expiry date?
SOLAS does not set a fixed life for inherently buoyant lifejackets, though some manufacturers and flags recommend replacement after a given period. They must be replaced when damaged, when the foam has deteriorated or when they no longer meet the approved standard. The lights fitted to them do have an expiry date and must be replaced in time.
How many lifejackets does a cargo ship need?
SOLAS regulation III/7.2 requires a lifejacket for every person on board, plus enough for persons on watch and at remotely located survival craft stations. Watch lifejackets should be stowed on the bridge, in the engine control room and at any other manned watch station. Where adult lifejackets do not fit persons up to 140 kg, accessories must be carried. Flag Administrations may add requirements.
What are the lifejacket light requirements?
LSA Code paragraph 2.2.3 requires each lifejacket light to show white, with a luminous intensity of at least 0.75 cd in all directions of the upper hemisphere, and to have enough energy to maintain that for at least 8 hours. Lights may be manually or automatically activated depending on type, and must be replaced before the expiry date shown on the unit.
Can the crew service inflatable lifejackets themselves?
Crew can carry out monthly visual checks and ensure cylinders are tight, but the annual servicing required by SOLAS regulation III/20.8.1 must be done at an approved servicing station. Some stations send mobile technicians to service lifejackets on board under their approval, which avoids landing large numbers of lifejackets. Any lifejacket that fails its tests is condemned and replaced.
