LIFE JACKET

WHAT IS LIFE JACKET :

Lifejackets are flotation devices which can be worn to keep a person afloat in the water. These are a crucial piece of equipment that have helped save thousands of lives over the years. A lifejacket is typically made of polyester stuffed with foam cubes, with reflective patches on the front and back.

Safety Jackets act as the first line of defense for employees against certain work hazards, allowing them to carry out their duties diligently and securely. In this way, accidents are significantly reduced and workplace safety is effectively maintained.

WHY LIFE JACKETS ARE IMPORTANT :

1. Construction Activities

At the construction site, the visibility of workers or flaggers is pertinent to their safety. Construction workers typically wear garments with a variety of fluorescent colors, including orange, yellow or green. These garments can be construction safety vests, shirts or jackets. They provide an easy way to identify employees and their location within a construction site.

2. Traffic Activities

Safety jackets used around traffic signals are all reflective. These traffic safety vests commonly have a zippered front closure and are available in a solid material, such as cotton or fabric. They are massively put to use in congested areas with high traffic volume. Safety vests are also suitable for high traffic areas where speeds exceed 55 miles per hour.

3. Usage for Emergency Personnel

Blue safety jackets are typically worn by emergency response personnel. The blue color is important as it quickly differentiates medical and paramedical teams from other individuals at the scene of a traffic accident, fire, or other emergency. If in case of an emergency where there are mass casualties, a blue safety jacket can be utterly helpful.

4. Water-Related Activities

Safety jackets also provide high visibility professional quality wear during water activities that may have lifesaving capabilities. During rainfall when the normal visibility drops, using highway safety vests designed for high visibility are considered essential in rainy conditions.

5. Useful in Extreme Weather Conditions

If you work in a climate that is extremely cold in winters yet very warm in summers, a safety jacket expands when you’re required to wear heavy outer clothing and contracts for lightweight summer work wear. Should you need to work in a situation that poses a potential fire danger, you are safer with a heavy-duty safety jacket.

6. Overall Safety

Last but not the least, High-visibility safety vests are often the first, and the only thing keeping an employee visible in working conditions with less than prerequisite lighting. For instance, drivers and equipment operators may not always have the time to stop and check for other employees in the area. Wearing a high-visibility jacket allows them to remain aware of personnel that may be in the vicinity and in imminent danger of being hit by vehicles or work equipment. Thence, they are able to avoid running over other co-workers, preventing potential accidents and saving lives. These days there are many high-visibility jackets that come with logos printed on the back. They help individual crew members distinguish themselves, or their identity from employees of other companies. Additionally, they help increase the public awareness of the company as well as their presence in the market. An employer should educate and inform his employees about the various tips of using life jackets to cultivate usage of protective safety wear amongst them.

TIPS WHILE WEARING LIFE JACKET :

1. Make sure everyone on your boat has a life jacket that is in good shape with no holes or tears. Check the life jackets each time before use.
2. To ensure life jackets are safe, they should be tested by Underwater Laboratories
3. The life jackets should be worn at all times while on a boat.
4. It is important to have the right life jacket for the type of excursion you are participating in. Navigating a boat in rough seas is different than cruising on calm inland waters.
5. Choose a life jacket that fits properly according to the person’s height and weight. If the life jacket is too big, you can slip through. To test it, put it on, raise your hands over your head, have someone pull up on its shoulders. If it goes over your chin, it’s too big. For children, you may need one with a crotch strap. A life jacket should be snug, but should not be too small. If it is too small, it won’t keep you afloat.
6. Make sure everyone knows how to properly put on and secure their life jackets, including children.
7. All straps should be belted in the right buckle and loose straps should be securely tucked in.
8. Test the buoyancy of the life jacket in shallow waters. Do this by relaxing your body and tilting your head back to see if it keeps your chin above water and you can easily breathe.
9. While on a boat, children under 13 must wear an appropriate life jacket. There may be additional requirements for children. A life jacket should be easily spotted in water. Bright orange is a good color choice, especially for children.
10. The law requires life jackets to be worn during certain water activities such as water skiing and tubing. Verify your state’s requirements before you head out.
11. Inflatable toys or water wings are not approved safety devices and should not be used in place of life jackets in emergency situations.
12. Don’t use harsh detergents to clean your life jacket as it can weaken the fabric and make the life jacket lose its effectiveness.
13. When storing, make sure the life jacket is dry, but do not leave it in the sun for a long time because heat can weaken the fabric and decrease its buoyancy. Do not dry it in a dryer or by a radiator, as this will also decrease buoyancy. Store in a dry location with good ventilation so that it does not get mildew.

 

HOW TO CLEAN LIFE JACKETS:

Make sure you have a couple of days of dry weather in your forecast before starting.

1. Use water and mild soap along with a soft brush or clean cloth to scrub the areas where the stains are located.
2. Rinse with clean water.
3. If you still notice stains, you may need to repeat the process a few times.
4. When the life jacket is completely clean, hang it up to dry out of direct sunlight and do not put it back in use or into a storage container until it is completely dry.

How to properly disinfect life jackets from the COVID-19 Virus:

1. Use a 60-90% alcohol spray solution and spray the life jacket including the buckles, straps and zippers.
2. While wearing gloves, hand wash the life jackets with hot water and mild soap. Rinse with clean water.
3. Do not use bleach or put life jackets in a washing machine.
4. Allow life jackets to dry completely for 72 hours (3 days) before reusing. Spreading them out in the sunshine and fresh air is the best option to dry them out completely.