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Chapter 7
Safety Equipment – Safe, Not Sorry

• Life Saving Equipment
• Life Rafts and Rescue Platforms
• Lifebuoys and Buoyant Lines
• Vessel Safety Equipment
• Fire Safety Equipment
• Distress Alerting Equipment
• More Information

Safety should always be your priority when on the water. Canada’s Small Vessel Regulations require you to equip your vessel with four types of safety equipment:

1. Life saving equipment (such as first aid kits, life jackets, and life rafts).
2. Vessel safety equipment (such as bailers, paddles, and anchors).
3. Fire safety equipment (such as portable and fixed fire extinguishers,
   fire axes).
4. Distress alerting equipment (such as flares).

As the owner or operator of a vessel, it is your responsibility to ensure you are in compliance with safety regulations and that all required safety equipment is on board. As well, you must make sure your vessel’s safety inventory is properly maintained and correctly functioning and that personnel know how and when to operate the equipment. Ensuring that the right quantity and type of safety equipment is on board and in good working order can save lives, and protect your vessel and business. It’s also the law.

LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT ^

Life Jackets

All too often those who drown were not wearing a life jacket or not wearing it properly. Life jackets are designed to keep a person’s head above water and to help a person remain in a proper breathing position. To meet Transport Canada’s requirements, you must have a life jacket of the appropriate size for each person aboard.

The life jackets you choose must be approved by Transport Canada and should be suitable for the type of activity in which the vessel will be engaged. For example, vessels that operate early or late in the season should be equipped with devices that offer some thermal protection. Red, orange and yellow are the only life jacket colours approved for use on commercial vessels.

It is your responsibility to ensure that life jackets are adequate and provide satisfactory protection to passengers. Life jackets are manufactured in various sizes. Check to ensure you have life jackets to fit the crew and passengers aboard your vessel. Extra supervision should be exercised with children to ensure there is a properly fitted life jacket for each child.

Special care must be taken with vessels that are closed or fitted with a canopy. In the event of capsizing, occupants may become trapped by the wearing of life jackets, which may prevent escape.

Consult with your local Marine Safety inspector to find out the exact safety requirements for your particular vessel. When buying a life jacket, always check the stamp or label to make sure it meets Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) requirements and is approved by Transport Canada.

Transport Canada approved life jackets are accepted for use on small commercial vessels. Life jackets may be of keyhole or vest type. Vests are more comfortable, and can be easily mistaken for a PFD (personal floatation device). Purchasers should examine the approval label to ensure that they are obtaining the correct type.

Life Jacket Maintenance and Testing

For life jackets to work, they must be kept in good condition. You should inspect each device on a regular basis for outer skin and stitching damage, mildew, leaks, insecure straps, or hardened stuffing. Use only mild soapy solution when cleaning. The use of oil-based solvents, such as gasoline, or strong detergents to remove stains can cause life jackets to deteriorate and lose buoyancy. For this reason, you should be cautious to prevent life jackets from coming in contact with gasoline, oil, or grease at all times.

Life Jacket Handling and Storage

You should always air-dry life jackets thoroughly before stowing them away. Avoid exposure to sunlight and never dry a life jacket on a heater or any other direct heat source. When life jackets are not in use, they must be stored in a dry, well-ventilated, easily accessible place on board the vessel. Life jackets should not be stepped on, or used as kneeling pads or seats. Placing any heavy weight on a life jacket can damage the internal buoyancy material.

Life Jacket Tips

It is recommended that all life jackets be individually marked with an identification system and that a record be kept of the date of purchase and the dates that you inspected the life jacket. This will assist with scheduling of future inspections and replacement planning.

Life Jacket Note

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) are designed for use aboard pleasure craft. PFDs are not approved for use on commercial vessels. Check to ensure the life jackets on your vessel are approved by Transport Canada.

LIFE RAFTS AND RESCUE PLATFORMS ^

No master wants to make the decision to abandon ship. However, in the event that sinking is likely, it’s best to be prepared. For ship accidents at sea or on inland waterways, the most widely used rescue system is the life raft. It can be launched in almost all weather conditions and is designed to keep survivors out of the water while they await a rescue.

Life rafts are strongly recommended for any vessel in water with a temperature below 15°C. When purchasing one of these devices, you must make sure it comes in a size that can accommodate the maximum number of people that can be carried on your vessel.

Crews must be prepared for the launching of life rafts and other life saving appliances. Drills of the crew in their duties, including special operating instructions and the location of survival craft, are mandatory. You should conduct regular inspections to ensure all necessary equipment for each survival craft is in place and properly stowed.

Life rafts are required to be serviced at regular intervals by an approved service technician. Inspection and repair identifies defects or deterioration caused by physical damage from the pitching-and-rolling movement of your vessel and prolonged environmental exposure, such as from humidity and water spray, which can find its way into the life raft container.

Hydrostatic release mechanisms that require annual or other periodic servicing should be serviced at the same time as the life raft. Disposable release mechanisms should be replaced before the expiration date. Failure to service life rafts and release devices may result in the raft not properly operating when it is needed and could cost lives. For safety, make certain equipment works and your crew is prepared.

Every life raft and rescue platform should be stowed in a manner that will allow the raft to float free when the vessel is submerged. You can either place the life raft in sufficiently deep chocks, without lashings, to allow it to float free if the ship sinks or secure the life raft with lashings fitted with a hydrostatic release unit. The life raft must be stowed well clear from any fittings, rigging or any other construction features that may obstruct or prevent it from floating free and inflating after being automatically released. As well, the life raft must be easy to access for manual release.

To prevent a life raft from being damaged or lost because of weather, it must be properly secured. However, it is important not to secure the life raft in any way that may impede the hydrostatic release from operating properly when needed. In addition, make sure that the painter is properly secured to the vessel.

LIFEBUOYS AND BUOYANT LINES ^

Lifebuoys and buoyant lines are designed to be thrown to a person overboard who can grasp it to supplement his or her buoyancy until rescue. They are not designed to be worn in the water. These devices include:

• lifebuoys;
• buoyant heaving lines.

Lifebuoys

Lifebuoys for use on commercial vessels should be 762 mm in diameter and constructed of inherently buoyant material. A 610 mm lifebuoy is permitted on passenger vessels less than 8 metres in length, not exceeding 5 tons.

Lifebuoys should not be dependent on cork shavings or granulated material, any other loose granulated material, or any air compartment that depends on inflation for buoyancy. The surface of the device must be highly visible. The only approved colours for use on non-pleasure crafts are yellow, orange, or red quartered with white. Every device should have an unkinkable, secured grabline of good quality, not less than 9.5 mm in diameter. To increase visibility, your vessel’s lifebuoy should have affixed to it retro-reflective tape at four equidistant points around the core to be visible on both sides of the life buoy. Commercial vessels over 8 metres in length must carry a lifebuoy with the required length of rope attached. Any commercial vessel over 5 tons is required to carry at least one 762 mm lifebuoy on each side of each passenger deck.

When buying a lifebuoy, check to make sure it is approved by the Department of Transport. It should bear an "Approved by the Department of Transport" marking and an approval number in the following format "T.C.xxx.xxx.xxx."

Horseshoe lifebuoys do not meet small commercial vessel requirements.

Buoyant Heaving Line

Passenger carrying vessels under 5 tons and less than 8 metres have the option, in place of a lifebuoy, of carrying a buoyant heaving line 15 metres in length or longer. The line can be packed into a rescue throw bag to assist in overboard emergencies.

VESSEL SAFETY EQUIPMENT ^

Oars and Anchor

Vessels under 5.5 metres in length have the option of carrying two oars and rowlocks or two paddles. Vessels between 5.5 metres and 8 metres have an additional option of carrying an anchor with 15 metres or longer of cable, rope, or chain. If your boat is over 8 metres in length, it must be equipped with an anchor and a minimum of 15 metres of line.

Bailers and Pumps

If your vessel does not exceed 5 tons and is less than 8 metres in length, a bailer or manual pump must be part of its safety inventory. The bailer should be made of plastic or metal, have an opening of at least 65 square centimetres, and should have a capacity of 750 ml or more. Vessels 8 to 12 metres have to carry a bailing device and a bilge pump.

Bilge Pumps

Every vessel over 12 metres in length is required to have installed an efficient bilge pumping arrangement. This arrangement should be in compliance with the Construction Standards for Small Vessels – TP 1332 (see Chapter 5, Bilge Pumping Systems for further information on automatic bilge pumps).

FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT ^

Fire Extinguishers

The size and number of fire extinguishers required for commercial vessels depends on the size of the boat. Portable fire extinguishers are classified to indicate their ability to handle specific classes and sizes of fires. Labels on extinguishers indicate the class and relative size of fire that they can be expected to handle. Refer to the Small Vessel Regulations, Schedule III, Section 17 for a table of equivalents for fire extinguishers.

Fires on board a vessel are commonly caused by combustible liquids such as gasoline, oil, or grease. For this reason, your vessel should be equipped with a Type "B" extinguisher.

When purchasing an extinguisher, look for a square containing the letter "B". This symbol will be printed in black letters on a metallic or red background.

Every fire extinguisher is rated numerically to indicate the relative size of the tank (minimum extinguishing agent weight) and thus the size of the fire it can put out. The higher an extinguisher’s rating, the larger the fire it can handle.

Extinguishers should be inspected monthly to make certain seals and tamper indicators are not broken or missing and that tank pressure remains in the operable range. Dry chemical extinguishers should periodically be inverted and shaken so that contents do not become compacted due to the motion of the vessel. Replace cracked or broken hoses and look for obvious physical damage, such as corrosion, leakage, or clogging.

You should avoid dry chemical extinguishers with corrosive properties. Marine type fire extinguishers are recommended because of their resistance to corrosion. CO₂ extinguishers are not to be used in spaces normally occupied by passengers or crew.

The Small Vessel Regulations do not address the automatic extinguishing systems that some vessels may have. Although your vessel may have this type of system, you must carry the required portable extinguishers.

Halon Fire Extinguishers Being Phased Out

Halon, as a fire suppressant, is being phased out in Canada. Refills of portable equipment will be banned after 2003. A fixed fire extinguishing system will be permitted one refill between 2005 and 2010 provided the system is replaced one year after that.

Fire Extinguisher Classification System

The class of fire extinguisher is based on the type of fire.

Class A Fire
A fire involving combustibles such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and some plastics.

Class B Fire
A fire involving flammable or combustible liquids, flammable gases, greases, and similar materials such as gasoline, oil, paint, and natural and propane gases.

Class C Fire
A fire of this nature is usually a Class A or B fire, but also involves energized electrical equipment. Wiring and electrical appliances are in this class.

Class D Fire
A fire involving certain combustible metals such as magnesium, sodium, or potassium.

Fire Extinguisher Use

You should read and understand the instructions on your fire extinguishers. If a fire starts, be prepared to grab the fire extinguisher, activate it, and direct it at the base of the flames using short bursts and sweeping the hose from side to side.

If underway and a fire starts, position your boat so the fire is downwind and stop the engine. Order everyone to put on life jackets. Use extinguishers to control the fire and, if possible, shut-off the fuel source. Owners of fiberglass boats should remember that fiberglass is flammable and take extra precaution.

DISTRESS ALERTING EQUIPMENT ^

Pyrotechnic Signals (Distress Flares)

In an emergency, distress flares are vital to alerting others that you need immediate assistance.

All distress flares must be clearly stamped Transport Canada approved. Distress flares are valid for four years from the manufacture date stamped on the flare and should be disposed of after that time.

Safety Measures and Use

• Store flares in a watertight container to protect them from humidity.
  
  
• Store flares in a cool, dry, and easily accessible location away from any heat source.
  
  
• Check regularly and note expiry date for replacement.
  
  
• Always shoot flares into the wind and away from the vessel at a 45-degree angle to allow it to drift back over your position.
  
  
• Never use or store a flare close to combustible liquids or gas (e.g., propane, gas, oil).
  
  
• Should a flare not work, dispose of it immediately.
  
  
• Crew should be trained in using distress signals.
  
  
• Never point a flare at another person.
  
  
• Always treat flares as explosive devices.

Types of Pyrotechnic Signals

1. Type A Rocket Parachute Flares

• Rocket ejects a bright red parachute flare.
• Burns for a minimum of 40 seconds at 25 000 cd luminosity.
• 228 m minimum altitude parachute ejects; burns out 45.7 m from sea.
• Ignition and the rocket contained in a waterproof casing.

2. Type B Single or Twin Star Flares

• Producing, in rapid succession (max 15 seconds), two or more bright red stars.
  
• Stars burn for a minimum of four seconds at 5 000 cd.
• Automatic or cartridge firing device.
• If cartridge, two signals should be fired with 15 second intervals. The package should be marked with this requirement.
• Firing device and the cartridges, if any, should be waterproof and packed in a waterproof container.
• Vessel owners should check for approval for use of Type B equipment on commercial vessels.

3. Type C Hand-held

• Hand-held red flare.
• Burns for at least one minute at a minimum of 15 000 cd.
• Sheathed to prevent any dripping of burning material.
• Effective at night but emits gray smoke for daytime use.
• Limited surface visibility; suited for increasing visibility to air search and rescue.
• Contained in a waterproof case.

4. Type D Buoyant Smoke Signal (or hand-held)

• Emit a dense volume of orange-coloured smoke for a period of not less than 3 minutes when floating in calm water.
• Mechanically ignited device.
• Functions effectively when afloat in moderate seas.
• Used as day signal.
• Contained in a waterproof case.
• This device can be either hand-held or buoyant.

Required Safety Equipment

* Vessels between 6m and 8m may use either a buoyant heaving line or a life buoy.

Source: Canada Shipping Act, Small Vessel Regulations, CRC, Vol. XVII, c. 1487

MORE INFORMATION ^

To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, please see Appendix 2.

• Canada Shipping Act, Small Vessel Regulations, CRC, Vol. XVII, c. 1487 http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/C/CSA/regulations/070/csa076/csa76.html
  
  
• Canada Shipping Act, Life Saving Equipment Regulations, CRC, Vol. XVI, c. 1436
  http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/C/csa/regulations/030/csa032/csa_32-a.html

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