International agreement on lifejackets

NSW Office of Boating Safety and Maritime Affairs General Manager Howard Glenn has declared some of the world’s most prominent boating safety authorities and organisations have vowed to promote lifejacket use and prevent death by drowning.

Representatives of national boating authorities and organisations from Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom agreed on the International Lifejacket Wear Principles, as part of the Marine13 conference in Sydney.

Across these nations, drowning is the most common factor in all fatal boating incidents and four out of five victims were reportedly not wearing a lifejacket at the time.

The single greatest challenge facing the international recreational boating community is getting more people to wear lifejackets, Mr Glenn said.

The draft principles were first discussed at the Canadian Safe Boating Council Symposium in 2012 and it was agreed that work would continue to finalise it at this week’s Marine13 conference in Sydney.

It will be hosted on a webpage to allow like-minded organisations to show their support, and to provide links to lifejacket use initiatives.

Mr Glenn said various organisation involved had committed to higher levels of cross-border coordination.

“Signatories to the principles believe international unity behind the promotion of wearing lifejackets will help strengthen and clarify the importance of lifejackets across all jurisdictions,” he said.

“This even translates to the language of how we want to use, with everyone agreeing to use the word “lifejacket” as a generic, non-ambiguous term covering all nationally approved personal lifesaving appliances and devices.”

The Australian Recreational Boating Safety Committee, Canadian Safe Boating Council, Maritime New Zealand, National Society for Sea Rescue (France) and the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution were the International Lifejacket Wear Principles’ founding signatories. Although unable to attend the conference the Boating Division of the US Coast Guard also indicated its strong interest in the Principles. 

Signatories to the International Lifejacket Wear Principles agree to:
• Recognise the fundamental role that wearing a lifejacket plays in protecting people on the water.
• Recognise the importance of promoting the use of lifejackets when boating.
• Endeavour to ensure that any publication including brochures, DVD, video and websites will feature all people wearing contemporary lifejackets when in an outside area of a small craft that is underway.
• Recommend to the recreational boating industry that its publications similarly feature all people wearing lifejackets when in an outside area of a small craft that is underway.
• Require on-water education and compliance staff to wear lifejackets whenever they are on the water.
• Use the term “lifejacket” in public information and education.
• Encourage boating safety networks to become “safety partners” by supporting the above principles.