Recent inspections of PFD revealed a hazard that may prevent donning in case of emergency
The US Coast Guard issued a safety alert stating that recent inspections of Type I Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), in both adult and child size, revealed a potential hazard that could prevent proper donning in the event of an emergency. The chest strap on certain PFDs was threaded through the fixed “D” ring that the strap was intended to clip to when worn. Instead of the strap falling away, allowing the wearer to wrap it around himself or herself, the clip end of the strap could snag in the “D” ring. The PFDs known to be affected are: Kent Adult Model 8830 (USCG Approval Number 160.055/184/0) in Lot 53W manufactured in October 2006 and Kent Child Model 8820 (USCG Approval Number 160.055/150/0) in Lot 012T manufactured in March 2008. Vessel owners and operators should examine their PFDs to determine whether any of them present this hazard. If so, the manufacturer should be contacted.
Please refer to the full text of the Safety Alert.
Source: US Coast Guard
