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 the right size and buoyancy for the activity, a snug fit over the clothing actually worn, correctly adjusted crotch straps, serviceable condition and the maker's servicing schedule. Level 275 is aimed at extreme offshore conditions or heavy, air-retaining clothing; it is not automatically the safer choice for every passage.
A safety line connects a correctly fitted harness to a purpose-made strong point or jackstay. Agree the route before conditions worsen, clip on before leaving the protected area and use the shortest suitable tether. Guardrails are not harness attachment points, and jackstays should be kept close to the centreline where practicable. Remaining attached does not make immersion safe: a person dragged alongside can 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. Stop the engine before changing driver; attach the cord to the new driver before restarting. Do not lengthen it beyond the engine maker's arrangement or clip it to loose clothing that can pull free.
The skipper sets observable triggers rather than relying on 'clip on when it feels rough'. Darkness, reduced visibility, an exposed deck task, a reefing evolution, fatigue, a rising sea or a short-handed watch can all justify an earlier lifejacket and tether policy. Brief the route, strong points and response if somebody is left suspended or enters the water.
- 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 — 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
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 10
Which briefing best reduces risk before a crew member leaves the cockpit at night?
Continue studying Safety
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