Module 4 - Safety
Personal Safety Equipment
Level 150 lifejackets are intended for coastal and offshore use and are designed to help turn an unconscious wearer face-up. That performance still depends on choosing the right size and buoyancy for the activity, wearing the jacket snugly over the actual clothing, fastening semi-tight crotch straps, checking its condition and following the maker's servicing interval. Level 275 is aimed at extreme offshore conditions, especially with heavy or air-retaining clothing; it is not automatically the best choice for every trip.
A safety line connects a correctly fitted harness to a purpose-made strong point or jackstay. Clip on before leaving the safer area. Use the shortest suitable tether and a route that reduces the chance of reaching the water; guardrails are not harness attachment points and jackstays should be kept close to the centreline where practicable. Remaining attached is not the same as being safe: a person dragged alongside can still drown, so stop the vessel if a tethered person enters the water.
Where a kill cord is fitted, the driver wears it whenever the engine is running and tests it at the start of the day or session. Turn the engine off before changing driver, then attach the cord to the new driver before restarting. Do not clip the cord to loose clothing or lengthen it beyond the engine maker's arrangement.
If someone falls overboard unattached, raise the alarm immediately, deploy buoyancy, appoint one person to keep pointing, mark the position and slow or stop the vessel while the skipper organises communications, approach and recovery. The exact manoeuvre and recovery method depend on the boat and conditions, so every crew needs a rehearsed plan and usable recovery equipment.
- Level 150 — coastal and offshore use; fit, clothing, crotch straps, condition and service state still matter
- Level 275 — extreme offshore conditions or heavy, air-retaining clothing
- Safety line — clip a suitable tether to a purpose-made strong point or jackstay before exposure
- Kill cord — worn by the driver whenever the engine is running and tested at the start of the session
- Person overboard — alarm, buoyancy, pointer, position mark, control the boat and prepare recovery
Watch for this: Before a passage, inspect the lifejacket to the maker's instructions: confirm the cylinder is full, firmly fitted and unpierced, check firing-head indicators and any automatic element's expiry, inspect the fabric and oral tube, and keep to the servicing schedule. Do not fire a live cylinder merely as a routine pre-passage check.
Optional quick check
Section 1 of 6
Which briefing best reduces the risk before a crew member leaves the cockpit at night?
Continue studying Safety
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