QC YSI Life Jacket Inspection (1)

1. Inspection standard for inflatable life jackets

Export to EU countries - life jackets must be CE (or ISO) compliant. There are 3 levels of certification, determined by the minimum buoyancy provided by the life jacket, expressed in Newtons:

100N - for sailing or coastal navigation in protected waters

150N - for offshore sailing

275N - for deep sea and extreme conditions

Export to the United States - This standard is issued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The 2 levels of certification are mainly differentiated based on minimum buoyancy, similar to European standards.

Level I: 150N for inflatable life jackets (100N for foam life jackets). Suitable for all types of sailing, including the most difficult conditions.

Level II: 100N for inflatable life jackets (70N for foam life jackets). Suitable for inland and confined water sailing.

2. National testing standards for life jackets

GB/T 4303-2008 Marine life jackets

GB/T 5869-2010 Life jacket lights

GB/T 32227-2015 Marine life jackets

GB/T 32232-2015 Children's life jackets

GB/T 36508-2018 Inflatable life jackets for aviation

GB 41731-2022 Marine inflatable life jackets

In all cases, life jackets must meet the current standards for the country of export and the activity in which you are engaged.

Visual inspection requirements for marine inflatable life jackets

1. The color of marine inflatable life jackets (hereinafter referred to as "life jackets") should be orange-red, orange-yellow or obvious colors.

2. The life jacket should be able to be worn on both sides without distinction. If it can only be worn on one side, it should be clearly indicated on the life jacket.

3. The life jacket shall have a fast and easy way of fastening to the wearer and fast and correct fastening without knotting.

4. The life jacket should be marked with the applicable height and weight range shown in the following table on its obvious part, and the "Children's Life Jacket" mark should also be marked for the dry children's life jacket.

5. When the subject is in static equilibrium in the water, the total area of the retro-reflective tape attached to the outer surface of the life jacket above the water surface shall not be less than 400cm, and the retro-reflective tape shall meet the requirements of IMO Resolution MSC481(102).

6. If the adult life jacket is not designed for persons with a weight greater than 140kg and a chest circumference greater than 1750mm, appropriate accessories should be provided so that the life jacket can be attached to such persons.

7. The life jacket shall be designed with a throwable buoyant line or other implement so that it can be tied to a life jacket worn by another person in dry water,

8. The life jacket shall be designed with a lifting device or attachment for pulling the wearer from the water into the lifeboat/raft or rescue boat.

9. The life jacket should be designed with a life jacket lamp fixture, which should be able to meet the requirements.

10. The life jacket should rely on the inflatable air chamber as buoyancy, and there should be no less than two independent air chambers, and the inflation of any one of the air chambers should not affect the state of the other air chambers. After immersion in water, there should be a lot of dry two independent air chambers automatically inflated, and a manual inflation device should be provided at the same time, and each air chamber can be inflated by mouth.

11. The life jacket should be able to meet the corresponding requirements when any one of the air chambers loses buoyancy.

Inspection requirements for marine inflatable life jackets

1. Coated fabrics for inflatable air chambers

1.1 Coating adhesion

The average value of dry and wet coating adhesion should not be less than 50N/50mm.

1.2 Tear strength

The average tear strength should not be less than 35 N.

1.3 Breaking strength and breaking elongation

The average value of dry and wet breaking strength should not be less than 200N, and the elongation at break should not be more than 60%.

1.4 Flexural crack resistance

After the flex crack test, there should be no visible cracks or damage.

1.5 Color fastness to rubbing

The color fastness to rubbing in dry state and wet state shall not be less than grade 3.

1.6 Color fastness to light

The color fastness to light shall not be less than grade 5.

1.7 Color fastness to sea water

The color fastness to sea water shall not be less than grade 4.

2. Straps

2.1 Standard state fracture strength

The average breaking strength should not be less than 1600N

2.2 Breaking strength after aging

The average breaking strength should not be less than 1600N, and should not be less than 60% of the breaking strength in the standard state.

3. Buckle

3.1 Standard state fracture strength

The average breaking strength should not be less than 1600N.

3.2 Breaking strength after aging

The average breaking strength should not be less than 1600N, and should not be less than 60% of the breaking strength in the standard state.

3.3 Breaking strength after salt spray

The average breaking strength should not be less than 1600N, and should not be less than 60% of the breaking strength in the standard state.

To be continued