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PFD Spells Boating Safety

Summer, 2005 - It's not the most attractive part of recreational boating, but it is the most important: a personal flotation device (PFD), more commonly known as a life jacket.

While that may seem obvious, most boaters are not prepared to deal with an accident that puts them in the water. U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that in 2002 of the 524 recreational boaters who drowned, 442 were not wearing PFDs.

"Life jackets don't work unless you wear them," says John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), the not-for-profit safety testing and certification organization.

"No one plans to fall overboard," he notes, "but life jackets need to be available, dry and worn. Once you're in the water, life jackets are almost impossible to find and put on quickly."

Drengenberg recommends the following tips for your recreational boating this season:

  • Ensure you have at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved/UL-Listed PFD available for each person on board.
  • Read PFD label to make sure the device is appropriate for the individual's height and weight.
  • Inspect PFDs for rips, holes and tears, making sure straps and hardware are in place and secure.
  • Check the PFD's buoyancy in shallow water before venturing far from shore. Relax your body and let your head tilt back. The PFD should keep your chin above water and allow you to breathe easily.
  • Check the fit on children before purchasing by gently pulling up on the PFD's shoulders. A properly fitted PFD should keep a child's chin and ears from slipping through the neck holes.
  • Purchase more than one kind of PFD if you use your boat for more than one purpose, such as a cruise on a calm lake one day, and a deep-sea fishing trip.
  • Remember that inflatable toys, rafts, ski jackets or belts and other devices are not approved by the U.S. Coast Guard or UL as flotation devices, and should not be used as a substitute for a PFD.
  • Store PFDs properly when they are not being used. Don't expose them to the sun for long periods or dry on a radiator or heater because sunlight and heat can weaken some synthetic fabrics and degrade the buoyancy material. Don't store PFDs in the boat where they can become wet and mildewed;
  • Stand out in a crowd. "Your PFD should make you highly visible in the water," Drengenberg concludes. "Orange may not be your color, but it's the easiest one for rescuers to spot."

For more tips on summer safety, visit the UL Web site at www.ul.com/consumers.

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization that has been testing products for more than 110 years. UL tests more than 19,000 types of products annually, and more than 19 billion UL Marks appear on products each year. Worldwide, the UL family of companies and its network of service providers include 58 laboratories, and testing and certification facilities.

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