IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-FITTING LIFEJACKET

According to Red Cross figures, over 87% of individuals who drown aren’t wearing a lifejacket. Being able to swim is not enough to survive boating accidents. Wearing a lifejacket provides rescuers extra time to get to you and it makes it possible to save you. Why risk your life when it’s so easy to wear one? It is, however, of major importance to wear a well-fitting lifejacket and to wear it correctly.

A PROPER FIT SAVES LIVES

You might know someone who doesn’t wear his or her lifejacket properly. Did you ever wonder whether this is a good idea? Well, it certainly isn’t. Properly wearing your lifejacket can save your life. First of all, you have to wear a lifejacket that fits you. It shouldn’t be too big or too small. You can’t have more than one fist of space between your body and lifejacket. It has to fit like a glove!

IMPORTANCE OF A CROTCH STRAP

Even though crotch straps are not required by law, Mullion has added detachable crotch straps to its lifejackets, as we are determined that using them definitely saves lives.

Have a look at the video to find out for yourself.

A crotch strap is of major importance, as it keeps your lifejacket in the right place when falling in the water. It also helps prevent the lifejacket from riding up the body during plunging heave moments in the water

Our automatic lifejackets systems are activated when the cartridge mechanism comes into contact with water. Then, a firing mechanism will activate and pierce a CO2 cylinder. The gas released from the cylinder will inflate the lifejacket, which keeps you afloat. Of course, all of our lifejackets also have manual overrides as a back-up.

The video shows how the lifejacket of the person who is not wearing the crotch strap opens, but immediately makes an upward movement and is lifted above that person’s head. It clearly doesn’t keep him safely afloat, as it is no longer fixed around his upper body. When wearing the crotch strap, the lifejacket remains in place and helps ensure the proper in water support is provided as intended.

STANDARDS

As mentioned before, it’s not mandatory to add crotch straps to lifejackets. There is, however, a shift in testing procedures, as it will soon be compulsory to test lifejackets with and without using the crotch straps.