Lifejackets The Saviour Of The Sea

When you take part in sailing events or are out on the water it is of great importance that you wear a life jacket, but, what caused them to be developed into a necessary piece of kit. Maritime disasters are not something new, there has been significant loss of life at sea since man built the first boat but what has changed significantly has been the our approach to life and death and the value placed on each individuals life. Life jackets have only been made into a compulsory piece of kit since the 19th Century, vessels were required to have enough for all members of the crew to help save lives hence the names life preserver and life jacket.

Development of the Life Jacket
In the process of developing the lifejacket various materials were tried and tested, the two longest standing being cork and wood because of their natural buoyancy. Some of the woods used caused problems because they lost their buoyancy over a period of time and the victim was then placed at risk. This is when testing became an important practice and the standardisation of life jacket buoyancy became a legal requirement. A life jacket had to keep a certain weight buoyant for a prolonged period of time in order for it to pass and be allowed to be used commercially.

Life Jackets have been further advanced to ensure that the person in the water is kept comfortably buoyant with their head above the water and their face out of the water. A collar was introduced to keep the face out of the water because many of the earlier models had people lying face down in the water causing them to drown.

The Straps on a lifejacket are used to keep the device in place, they strap originally went round the waist but this did not stop the jacket moving up the body and potentially over the head of the person. So, shoulder straps were added to ensure that the jackets would stay in the correct place.

These developments have made lifejackets one of the most important pieces of kit on a boat and have saved thousands of lives.

By: Charlotte Green

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