EU-approved life jackets that inflate automatically may be more of a "fashion statement" than a vital lifesaving device, according to the head of Irish Water Safety.
Mariners are "putting their lives at risk" through incorrect use of the waistcoat-type life jackets or personal flotation devices, said Lieut-Cdr John Leech, chief executive of Irish Water Safety (IWS). The warning was given during Boat Show 2005 in the RDS in Dublin, which closed yesterday.
A number of drownings have already occurred this year due to over-reliance on the safety equipment, the IWS chief executive said.
The self-inflating life jacket was adopted by navies internationally about 30 years ago. The aim was to ensure that an unconscious wearer was held face up out of the water.
Over the past decade the jackets have been marketed commercially in Europe, and have been approved for use by voluntary lifeboat crews and coastguard services. Many people prefer the lightweight design.
However, the jackets require regular maintenance. Lieut-Cdr Leech said several fatalities had occurred as a result of loose or unseated carbon dioxide cartridges fitted into the jackets, while there had also been incidents involving faulty or damaged trigger mechanisms, leaks in the lung, faulty non-return valves and incorrectly fitted jackets where straps were loose.
