Lifejacket awareness days

Boaters all around the world will be risking ridicule and putting on a brave face for International Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day this Friday, May 20, in a show of support for wearing these essential life-saving devices. On Saturday May 21, you can also participate in the Ready, Set, Wear It Australia Day.

The Queensland and NSW maritime authorities have been promoting wear-it-to-work day on their social media channels. It is hoped that wearing your lifejacket to work will get people talking about boating safety and show just how easy and comfortable wearing a modern lifejacket is these days.

Take a picture, upload your selfie and tag #wearyourlifejacketowork or #readysetwearit and join the worldwide lifejacket awareness campaign.

READY, SET, WEAR IT DAY
On the following day, Saturday May 21, the privately run Wear It Australia wesbite, in association with the North American National Safe Boating Council, is encouraging the media, recreational and professional boating skippers to participate in the “Ready, Set, Wear It” Life Jacket World Record Day.

This once-a-year day is to engage, educate and encourage the life saving use of a lifejacket. The objective is to gather as many participants as possible in Australia and around the world to wear and inflate their inflatable life jackets.

The goal is not only to promote the comfortable and versatile options when it comes to life jackets, but to educate the public about life jackets and safe boating AND on-water activities.

As an alternative to activating the CO2 canister on the inflatable lifejacket because of cost constraints, skippers are encouraged to follow their respective brands' and manufactures' test instructions on May 21.

This opportunity to test and inspect should also take place for non-inflatable life jackets.

Here are just a few general inspection checks, however, refer to your manufacturer's self-inspection instructions:

CHECKING YOUR LIFEJACKET
>> Identify where they are stored on the vessel. Label all compartment doors.
>> Remove from the sealed retail packaging if it still exists.
>> Check lifejacket expiry date.
>> Check the lifejacket has no wear or damage.
>> Are hooks, loops or zippers are all OK and in good working condition?
>> All straps have no visible damage?
>> Lifting becket has no damage?
>> Open and close all buckles.
>> Test the attached whistle by blowing loudly
Additional for inflatable life jackets:
>> Check the oral inflation tube for any visible damage.
>> Open the covers and check all fittings and the lung for signs of abrasion or wear.
>> Inflate by blowing into the red oral tube and leave inflated in a room for 12 hours in stable air temperature.
>> Check there is no loss of pressure or visible damage to the lung while inflated.

UPLOAD A PHOTO
All boating skippers and crew, maritime professionals, government on-water employees, marine rescue groups, boating and fishing retailers/shops, boating and sailing clubs, fishing clubs, rock fisherman, surf life savers, parents with home swimming pool use and lifejacket ownrs are encouraged to participate in the Ready, Set, Wear It Australia Day.

Submit a photograph or video of your “inflation” day for submission to the Wear It site. In turn, your story and effort will be forwarded to the world headquarters of WEAR IT in the U.S.A. More at wearitaustralia.com.au.