Lifejacket standards review

The Maritime Management Centre in NSW is calling on members of the boating public to have their say on a draft paper reviewing lifejacket safety standards in Australia.

"This is the first major review of lifejacket standards in almost a decade and I encourage anyone with an interest in water safety to provide their feedback as part of this important process,: General Manager Howard Glenn said.

The draft paper, produced by the Standards Australia committee Buoyancy Aids, contains substantial changes that should help provide safety requirements for lifejackets to cater for a wide range of water activities, including:

<< addition of a new lower-buoyancy category of Level 25 (25 newtons of buoyancy) for competent swimmers for specialist activities;
<< new requirements for a body mass of between 5 and 10 kg to address public demand regarding lifejackets for infants;
<< harmonisation of Level 50 buoyancy requirements with international standards;
<< new requirements for testing inflation indicators and gas cylinders; and
<< the term "personal flotation device" or "PFD" to be replaced with "lifejacket" across all three parts of the Standard to remove ambiguity for the public.

"Lifejackets are one of the most important items when it comes to keeping people safe on our waterways," Mr Glenn said.

"Modern lifejackets have already come a long way from the bulky styles of the past but we must continue to look at where we can make more safety improvements in terms of things like design and functionality.

"Remember an enjoyable day on the water is a safe one and this important work will help boost safety for boaters well into the future."

Members of the public can provide their feedback on the draft paper until Friday April 3 and can access it online at

https://sapc.standards.org.au/sapc/public/listOpenCommentingPublication.action.