FloatSafe event booked out at Rhyll
“We want to encourage more people to wear lifejackets and maintain them for safe use while out on the water in any powered or non-powered vessel,”
Rhyll hosted the first of nine clinics being held across the state to help Victorian boaters and paddlers learn how to service and maintain their lifejackets.
The fully booked out event involved Maritime Safety Victoria (MSV) staff providing free demonstrations of how to inspect inflatable lifejackets.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Brett Tessari and Director of Transport Safety Victoria, Cameron Toy also attended.
The clinics, part of MSV campaign “Floatsafe – wear a well maintained lifejacket while on the water!”, also teach people how to carry out a simple before-use check. Correct maintenance is critical if the lifejacket is to perform as intended by the manufacturer and, more importantly, as expected by the user.
“If you’ve fallen into the water unexpectedly and you get yourself in trouble, having a lifejacket that doesn’t inflate isn’t much good to you”, says Gareth Johnson, Manager – Recreational Boating Safety at MSV.
“If you own an inflatable lifejacket in Victoria, you should be performing regular checks to make sure it is going to work when you need it.
“This program is about familiarising boaters with their lifejackets so that they can conduct these checks effectively.”
MSV says that many lifejacket manufacturers now recommend owners complete an inflation check every three months and that lifejackets should be fully serviced by an accredited service agent every three to five years.
Penalties may apply if lifejackets aren’t serviced as required.
“We want to encourage more people to wear lifejackets and maintain them for safe use while out on the water in any powered or non-powered vessel,” Mr Johnson said.
Everyone attending the sessions at Rhyll received a $30 gift voucher to use towards the purchase of a new lifejacket or parts at participating marine retailers.
FloatSafe’s pilot program aims to educate 900 Victorian boaters on lifejacket maintenance at nine sites across metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Find out more at: wearalifejacket.transportsafety.vic.gov.au/looking-after-your-lifejacket
