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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 37 Number 9
May 2010
Beware of altered survival suits
Not just any neoprene suit satisfies Coast Guard requirements for immersion or survival suits.
During a recent look on eBay, I found I could purchase what was called an “immersion suit” for $20 plus shipping. The picture showed a worn foot and I couldn’t tell whether or not there was an inflatable bladder at the neck on the back.
Moreover, the suit and the bag were marked “no service.” Bad idea to buy a “no service” suit. Fortunately, the seller did not tack on “US Coast Guard approved” to the description because it clearly was not.
I also found I could buy for close to $60 plus shipping another totally unusable “immersion suit,” marked “only to be used with life jacket.”
The gloves detached, reflective tape was absent except for two small rectangles, and the hood was poorly designed. Here, too, it was not clear if there was an inflatable bladder at the back of the neck. Clearly, this one was not Coast Guard approved either.
Recently, Kevin Plowman of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Portland, ME sent me a safety alert on immersion suits and asked if I could help get the word out about the agency’s concerns.
Coast Guard inspectors in Sector Northern New England recently reported that these immersion suits were showing up on vessels. It was not entirely clear who was responsible for the alterations and perhaps the altered suits were not meant to be used as survival suits but rather as work suits.
The usual neoprene gloves had been removed and replaced with rubber industrial gloves marked “do not use for electrical work.” Admittedly, someone did a nice job making a watertight connection between the gloves and the suit, but the gloves had no thermal insulation properties and, so, were not Coast Guard approved. The inflatable buoyancy bladders also had been removed.
Approved suits
The major function of an immersion suit is to provide thermal insulation, buoyancy, and flotation stability. On approved suits, gloves, boots, and the hood are integral to the whole suit and all parts have passed rigorous tests by a Coast Guard-accepted independent laboratory.
The neoprene material itself provides buoyancy, and the bladder at the back is designed to turn an unconscious person face-up immediately.
Reflective tape patches are installed by the manufacturer according to Coast Guard requirements that specify the number of patches and their positions. The locations of these reflective patches should not be changed.
In total, there must be 400 square centimeters of reflective material on the front of the suit. The suit must be marked with the vessel name – and the vessel’s name is not “no service” – or with the suit owner’s name.
Suit maintenance
Beyond purchasing an approved suit and correctly stowing it – not in the hold but within easy reach – fishermen must proactively maintain their suits.
First, the suit must fit. Try it on again this spring.
The suit must have working, lubricated zippers and Coast Guard-approved lights (strobe lights are best), and the inflation tubing and the bladder must be free of leaks.
The material also must be free of rips and tears. Neoprene fabric degrades over time and can lose its original buoyancy and fabric integrity. Ask personnel at an approved servicing location to evaluate whether an old suit is still serviceable and safe.
Try it, dry it
Finally, get your crewmembers together and have everyone test their suits in the water. This exercise serves two purposes. It allows each crewman to check his suit for any structural problems and presents an opportunity to practice donning and using it.
If it has been a while since your last cold water drill, call your local Coast Guard Marine Safety Office and see if you can arrange an immersion and survival swimming workshop for your harbor.
For fishermen in Maine, Kevin Plowman can be reached at (207) 780-3256 or call Gary Moores at (207) 733-2054.
When you finish, dry the suit out of the sun, package it up, and stow it within easy reach.
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