Regulation 24 - Lifejackets
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Conventions - SFV - International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels (The Torremolinos Convention)Regulations for the Construction and Equipment of Fishing Vessels - Chapter VII - Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements - Part C - Life-Saving Appliances Requirements - Regulation 24 - Lifejackets

Regulation 24 - Lifejackets

  (1) General requirements for lifejackets

  • (a) A lifejacket shall not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of 2 s

  • (b) A lifejacket shall be so constructed that:

    • (i) after demonstration, a person can correctly don it within a period of 1 min without assistance;

    • (ii) it is capable of being worn inside-out or is clearly capable of being worn in only one way and, as far as possible, cannot be donned incorrectly;

    • (iii) it is comfortable to wear;

    • (iv) it allows the wearer to jump from a height of at least 4.5 m into the water without injury and without dislodging or damaging the lifejacket.

  • (c) A lifejacket shall have sufficient buoyancy and stability in calm fresh water to:

    • (i) lift the mouth of an exhausted or unconscious person not less than 120 mm clear of the water with the body inclined backwards at an angle of not less than 20° and not more than 50° from the vertical position;

    • (ii) turn the body of an unconscious person in the water from any position to one where the mouth is clear of the water in not more than 5 s.

  • (d) A lifejacket shall have buoyancy which is not reduced by more than 5% after 24 h submersion in fresh water.

  • (e) A lifejacket shall allow the person wearing it to swim a short distance and to board a survival craft.

  • (f) Each lifejacket shall be fitted with a whistle firmly secured by a cord.

  (2) Inflatable lifejackets

 A lifejacket which depends on inflation for buoyancy shall have not less than two separate compartments and comply with the requirements of paragraph (1) and shall:

  • (i) inflate automatically on immersion be provided with a device to permit inflation by a single manual motion and be capable of being inflated by mouth;

  • (ii) in the event of loss of buoyancy in any one compartment be capable of complying with the requirements of paragraph (1)(b), (c) and (e);

  • (iii) comply with the requirements of paragraph (1)(d) after inflation by means of the automatic mechanism.

  (3) Lifejacket lights

  • (a) Each lifejacket shall have a light which shall:

    • (i) have a luminous intensity of not less than 0.75 cd;

    • (ii) have a source of energy capable of providing a luminous intensity of 0.75 cd for a period of at least 8 h;

    • (iii) be visible over as great a segment of the upper hemisphere as is practicable when attached to a lifejacket.

  • (b) If the light referred to in paragraph (3)(a) is a flashing light it shall, in addition:

    • (i) be provided with a manually operated switch;

    • (ii) not be fitted with a lens or curved reflector to concentrate the beam;

    • (iii) flash at a rate of not less than 50 flashes per minute with an effective luminous intensity of at least 0.75 cd.

Parent topic: Part C - Life-Saving Appliances Requirements
Copyright 2022 Clasifications Register Group Limited, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved. Clasifications Register Group Limited, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as 'Clasifications Register'. Clasifications Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Clasifications Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.