Lifejacket Bottle

[smithy]

Just did my annual check on my six lifejackets. I found one of the bottles had come off completely and another was loose. Quite a high failure rate, think I will be checking them weekly from now on.
Is this a widespread problem?

 

[prv]

It is a known issue. On their Hammar jackets, Crewsaver now glue the bottles into the socket (as well as the screw thread) to prevent it. Most of our jackets on Ariam are this type, but my own one (Kru Sport Pro) is a conventional auto inflator and I do give the bottle a tweak through the fabric when I remember.

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

... Crewsaver now glue the bottles into the socket (as well as the screw thread) to prevent it...

I wonder how often they check the ones in airplanes.

Sounds like a good case for some form of easily removable thread locker. Do Crewsaver say what they use?

 

[l'escargot]

It is worth checking them every time you put them on and ensuring that everyone also knows how to orally inflate their lifejacket too in they event of a malfunction.

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

I thought it was customary to check each time you put it on, which is every time you go on deck IMHO.

 

[prv]

I wonder how often they check the ones in airplanes.

To be fair, the ones in aeroplanes just sit there, rather than being worn, shuffled about, hung up, thrown down, folded spindled and mutilated (ok perhaps not mutilated).

Also, perhaps their cylinders are also glued in?

Also, the odds are overwhelmingly against their ever being needed. Planes rarely crash, and when they do it's usually catastrophic - neither case involves anybody putting on lifejackets and forming an orderly queue towards their nearest exit.

Pete