The US Coast Guard (USCG) has issued a safety alert as it was recently notified of several vessels whose mariners were unable to properly don their Viking PS2006 immersion suits.
The issue was encountered across crew members of various sizes, all sizes of the PS2006 immersion suit (small, universal, and jumbo), and multiple manufacturing lots. Therefore, manufacturing date and/or body type alone should not be used to determine viability of these immersion suits.
The issue observed while attempting to don the suit is the hood’s fabric and design may prevent the zipper from being fully zipped, allowing for water ingress.
Furthermore, the PS2006 immersion suits remain approved by the U.S. Coast Guard under approval number 160.171/215/0. However, if any of these suits cannot be donned according to the manufacturer’s instructions and in accordance with Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements, a replacement suit must be obtained.
The photos below show the intended fit and the zipper malfunction:
Recommendations
- The Coast Guard strongly recommends that vessel owners and operators check their inventory for Viking PS2006 immersion suits and ensure all mariners try on their immersion suits (regardless of the model) to check for proper donning and fit.
- The Coast Guard also strongly recommends that marine inspectors verify vessel training and drill records and immersion suit fit while onboard.
- The Coast Guard requests any observed or reported issues with the Viking PS2006 immersion suits be submitted to the Coast Guard Headquarters Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division (CGENG-4).
CG-ENG-4, Sector Virginia, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and Viking are working together on this ongoing investigation and an updated Safety Alert will be issued with the findings and recommended actions.
