201861 Immersion suit defect
Immersion suit defect
As edited from USCG Safety Alert 3-18
During a recent inspection a significant flaw was discovered on approximately 87% of a vessel’s immersion suits. The glue used to attach the main zipper to the body of the suit had failed. This defect will prevent the suit from achieving a watertight seal and will present serious risk to crew members in a survival situation.
Lessons learned
- Regularly inspect immersion suits for this and all potential unsafe conditions. Do not wait to discover the problem during a real emergency.
- Any replacement immersion suits need to be approved by the vessel’s flag state.