The Coast Guard issued Marine Safety Alert 13-16 to remind all inflatable life jacket users of the importance of performing periodic maintenance on their equipment.

Instances of fatal accidents where inflatable life jackets failed to properly inflate have been documented. When a life jacket fails to inflate properly, the results can be life threatening.

In light of these instances, the Coast Guard highly recommends routine maintenance, service, and inspection in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

For additional details, please view the entire safety alert.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.