What are the inspection standards for life jackets? How to inspect the inflatable life jacket?

A life jacket is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) that allows a person to float if they fall into the water. There are international standards and national regulations on the technical characteristics of life jackets. Commonly seen life jackets are foam life jackets and air expansion inflatable life jackets. What are the inspection standards for life jackets? How to inspect the inflatable life jacket?

Standard for inspection of life jackets

1. Inspection standards for inflatable life jackets

Export to EU countries - Life jackets must meet CE (or ISO) standards. There are 3 levels of certification, determined by the minimum buoyancy provided by the lifejacket, expressed in Newtons:

100N- For navigation in protected waters or coastal navigation

150N- For inshore navigation

275N- For deep sea navigation and sailing in extreme conditions

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

Level I: Inflatable life jacket is 150N (foam life jacket is 100N). Suitable for all types of sailing, including in the most difficult conditions.

Class II: Inflatable life jackets are 100N (foam life jackets are 70N). Suitable for inland and calm water navigation.

2. National testing standards for life jackets

GB/T 4303-2008 Marine life jacket

GB/T 5869-2010 Life jacket light

GB/T 32227-2015 Life jacket for Marine work

GB/T 32232-2015 Life jacket for children

GB/T 36508-2018 Inflatable life jacket for aviation

Inflatable life jacket for ships

In all cases, life jackets must conform to the current standards of the country you are exporting to and the activity you are engaged in.

On July 13, 2022, the mandatory standard GB 41731-2022 Inflatable Life Jacket for Ships was released, and will be officially implemented on February 1, 2023.

Appearance inspection requirements for inflatable life jackets for ships

1. The color of inflatable life jacket for ship (hereinafter referred to as "life jacket") shall be orange-red, orange-yellow or obvious color.

2. Life jackets should be worn on both sides without any difference. If only one side can be worn, it should be clearly marked on the life jacket.

3. The life jacket shall have a fast and simple closure mode that is fixed on the wearer's body and can be quickly and correctly fastened without tying knots.

4. Life jackets should be marked on their conspicuous parts with the applicable height and weight range as shown in the following table, and for dry children's life jackets should also be marked with the "Children's life Jackets" logo.

5. When the subject is in static equilibrium in the water, the total area of the reverse reflection belt affixed to the outer surface of the life jacket above the water should not be less than 400cm, and the reverse reflection belt should meet the requirements of IMO ResolutionMSC481(102).

6. If the adult life jacket is not designed for persons weighing more than 140kg and with a chest size greater than 1750mm, appropriate accessories should be provided to enable the life jacket to be attached to the body of such persons.

7. The life jacket shall be designed with a throwable float line or other tool to be attached to the 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 to the lifeboat/raft or rescue craft.

9. The life jacket should be designed with a life jacket light fixing device, which should meet the requirements.

10. The life jacket shall rely on the inflatable air chamber for buoyancy. There shall be no less than two independent air chambers, and the inflating of any one of them shall not affect the state of the other air chambers. After soaking, there should be a lot of dry two independent air chambers for automatic inflation, at the same time should be equipped with a manual inflation device, and can be used to inflate each air chamber by mouth.

11. The life jacket shall be able to meet the corresponding requirements in case of loss of buoyancy in any of the air chambers.

Material inspection requirements for inflatable life jackets for ships

1. Coated fabric for inflatable air chamber

1.1 Adhesion of coating

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

1.2 Tear strength

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

1.3 Fracture strength and fracture elongation

The average fracture strength of both dry and wet states should not be less than 200N, and the fracture elongation should not be more than 60%.

1.4 Resistance to scratching cracks

There should be no visible crack or damage after the anti-scratch crack test.

1.5 Color fastness to friction

The color fastness to friction of dry and wet state shall not be less than 3 levels.

1.6 Color fastness to light

Color fastness to light should not be less than 5.

1.7 Color fastness to sea water

Colour fastness to sea water should not be less than 4.

2 Binding Tape

2.1 Fracture strength in standard state

The average fracture strength should not be less than 1600N

2.2 Fracture strength after aging

The average fracture strength shall not be less than 1600N, and shall not be less than 60% of the standard fracture strength.

3 buckle tool

3.1 Fracture strength in standard state

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

3.2 Fracture strength after aging

The average fracture strength shall not be less than 1600N, and shall not be less than 60% of the standard fracture strength.

3.3 Fracture strength after salt spray

The average fracture strength shall not be less than 1600N, and shall not be less than 60% of the standard fracture strength.

Other inspection requirements for inflatable life jackets for ships

1. Whistle

- The whistle equipped with the life jacket should be able to make a sound in the air immediately after being removed after being immersed in fresh water. The sound pressure level should reach 100dB(A).

- Whistles shall be made of non-metallic material, have no burrs on the surface and can sound without relying on any object to move.

- The whistle should be fastened to the life jacket with a thin cable. The position should not affect the performance of the life jacket and should be accessible to both hands of the wearer.

- The strength of the thin cable shall meet the requirements of GB/T322348-2015

2. Temperature cycle

After 10 cycles of high and low temperature, check the appearance of the life jacket. There should be no signs of damage, such as shrinkage, cracking, expansion, decomposition or mechanical changes.

3. Inflation performance

- Use automatic and manual inflating systems immediately after each temperature cycle. Life jackets should be fully inflated.

- Life jackets should be fully inflated by manual inflating system after being stored at 40℃ and -15℃ for 8h.

4. Buoyancy loss

Life jackets should not lose more than 5% of their buoyancy after being submerged in fresh water for 24 hours.

5. Burn resistance

Life jacket fire 2s, after leaving the flame check the appearance of life jacket, should not continue to burn more than 6s or continue to melt

Step 6: Intensity

- Strength of the body and lifting ring: Both the body and lifting ring should be able to withstand 3200N force for 30min without damage. Both the life jacket and lifting ring should be able to withstand 2400N force for 30min without damage to the ears.

- Shoulder strength: Life jacket shoulder should be able to withstand 900N force for 30 minutes without damage, children's life jacket shoulder should be able to withstand 700N force for 30 minutes without damage.

Step 7 Dress

- Without instruction, 75% of the subjects should put on the life jacket correctly within 1 minute, and 100% of the subjects should put on the life jacket correctly within 1 minute after instruction.

- Under weather dressing conditions, 100% of the subjects described in 4.91 shall correctly put on the life jacket within 1min

- Both inflated and uninflated lifejackets should be used for testing.

8. Water performance

- Straightening: The average straightening reversal time of the subject wearing the life jacket should not be greater than the average straightening reversal time plus 1s when wearing the adult standard life jacket (RTD). In the case of "no flip", the number of "no flip" should not exceed the number of times when wearing RTD. RTD shall meet the requirements in IMO MSC.1/Circ1470

- Static balance: The subject should meet the following requirements when wearing the selected life jacket in the static balance state facing up.

a) Net height: The average net height of all subjects shall be no less than the average net height while wearing RTD minus 10mmo b) Torso Angle: The average torso Angle of all subjects shall be no less than the average torso Angle while wearing RTD minus 10°

- Diving and diving: The subject shall meet the following requirements after falling into the water and diving in the standby state while wearing a life jacket:

a) Keep subjects face up and the net height of all subjects leaving the water is not less than the average net height of wearing RTD as determined by the test in accordance with 5103 minus 15mm: b) Keep the life jacket on and do not cause injury to subjects:

c) Damage that does not affect water performance or buoyancy chamber:

d) No loss or damage to the life jacket light.

- Stability: After entering the water, the life jacket should not swing from side to side so that the face of the subject is submerged. The number of subjects wearing the selected life jacket and returning to a stable face up foetal position should be at least the same as the number of subjects wearing RTD in the same state.

- Swimming and getting out of the water: After swimming 25m, the number of subjects wearing life jackets who can climb onto a life raft or a rigid platform 300mm above the water should be not less than 2/3 of the number of subjects without life jackets.

9. Inflatable head load

There should be no damage to the inflatable head after it is subjected to (220 s 10)N forces from all directions. The life jacket should not leak and keep it airtight for 30 minutes.

10. Pressure

Under normal condition, the life jacket should not swell or change the mechanical properties after bearing the load of 75kg, and there should be no air leakage phenomenon.

11. Pressure performance

- Overpressure: The life jacket should be able to withstand excessive internal pressure at room temperature. The pressure can be maintained in good condition for 30min.

- Release valve: If the life jacket is provided with a release valve, it should ensure that the excess pressure can be released. The life jacket should be kept intact and maintained at pressure for 30min. It should show no signs of damage such as rupture, expansion or change in mechanical properties. The inflatable parts should not be visibly damaged.

- Air retention: Fill the life jacket air chamber with air and place it at room temperature for 12h. The pressure reduction should not be greater than 10%.

12. Metal parts

- Metal parts and components on life jackets should be resistant to seawater corrosion. After the salt spray test as per 5.151, the metal component shall have no obvious corrosion or influence on other parts of the life jacket and shall not degrade the performance of the life jacket.

- When the metal parts of the life jacket are placed 500mm away from the magnetic compass, the influence of the metal parts on the magnetic compass should not exceed 5°.

13. Prevent misinflation

The life jacket should have a function to prevent misinflation.