Are you certain that the safety equipment onboard your vessel is compliant with the current regulations and that you are adequately prepared in the event of an emergency?
Everyone knows the importance of having enough lifejackets onboard for the number of persons that are boating with you. Are you sure that your lifejackets are legal and if they are inflatable jackets, when was the last time that you had them serviced?
Sadly, many of the fatalities that occur on our waterways involve people that were not wearing a lifejacket when they entered the water. Often out boating on their own. Maritime Safety Queensland advises, ‘A lifejacket is a vital piece of safety equipment that could save your life. The best idea is to make sure you wear it. Put the lifejacket on as part of your pre-trip preparation. It is a lot harder to put a lifejacket on in the water during an emergency’.
There’s a great website that has been developed that will answer all your questions about lifejackets. From what type is appropriate for different water activities, right through to where to get inflatable jackets serviced.
Take some time and check it out, it might save a life.