FLOTATION CLOTHING STANDARDS IN CANADA ITS SESSION ~ OCTOBER 7, 2014
How many of you enjoyed boating this summer? Or sailing or have worn a piece flotation of clothing this passed year. This presentation will go through what is involved on bringing that safety equipment to you, the end user.
In Canada, the Flotation Clothing Industry falls under the independent regulatory board, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) before being approved by Transport Canada, a department of the federal government. ULC approval is a mandatory requirement for all TC Approved Flotation clothing from the testing phase and quarterly follow ups for as long as the manufacturer wishes to produce the product. ULC / UL governs all testing criteria, fabrics and trims that are listed for use, plus conducts quarterly audits for the ULC file and manufacturing facility as follow up procedures. This is the only type of garment produced that has this type of continual compliance.
Transport Canada approves the garment based on the testing and provides as certification number for the garments. They are the primary source responsible for any changes to standards plus committees that involve the manufactures and end users and other regulatory bodies. What is found on the certification label : Both UL / ULC and TC markings Issue numbers / Listee numbers / and Style numbers are unique to each location that it is made for. TC has a website that shows every Canadian Marine Safety garment ever certified and available: http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/saf- Sec- Sur/4/APCI- ICPA/eng/product/list/450?strOrderBy=Manufacturer_ASC
The ULC website lists the approved Finished Goods devices that are only currently available and approved. http://database.ul.com/cgi- bin/xyv/template/liscanada/1frame/index.html From this link also you can access the ULC approved Raw Materials. The UL website can be accessed by: http://database.ul.com/cgi- n/xyv/template/lisext/1frame/index.htm
There are many choices of Flotation Clothing on the market today both for recreational and industrial. Today s garments have come along way from the bulky cork and kapok vests that restricted the range in motion and were difficult to dry and store. There are two types of Marine Safety categories that Canadian Flotation Clothing fall into. Lifejackets (CAN/CGSB 65.7- M88 ) for Keyholes for Adults / Child and Infants and Small Vessel vests. This is a grandfathered standard that can be manufactured until 2016 2018
The new Lifejacket Standard (CAN/CGSB 65.7-2007 ) came into use in 2007. Standards come up for renewal every 10 years. At that time, the standards committees can decide to keep the standard as- is or make changes. A decision was made by Transport Canada to update the standard and obsolete 65- GP- 14M This is broken down into four categories : Category 1: INHERENTLY BUOYANT Category 2: INFLATABLE Category 3: INHERENTLY BUOYANT / INFLATABLE Category 4: Life jackets with thermal protection that may be Inherently buoyant, inflatable or inherent / inflatable.
PFD s Personal Flotation Devices such as Vests /Suits and Coats for Adults (CAN/CGSB 65.11- M88 ) The majority of flotation devices fall under this category. PFD s evolved from the need to make a marine safety device comfortable for user s to wear all the time. The foam in a PFD is distributed more evenly and this reduces the performance compared to a lifejacket. Type I - Inherently Buoyancy of 69 N using PE / PVC foam. Type II Combined Buoyancy of 40 N Inherent plus 89 N inflatable using PE / PVC and an inflatable bladder. ( Hybrid )
PFD Vests for Children / Infants (CAN/CGSB 65.15- M88 ) The weight class depicts the size and fit.
Inflatables are also PFD s but are regulated under the US Standard UL1180 but adopted for Canada UL1180 with Canadian Addendum) These are categorized as PFD however when the bright yellow chamber bladder inflates is provides self righting and good free board for 96% of the people, thus providing Type II performance as UL1180. Waist Pack Inflated Bladder Harness Non Harness An inflatable bladder that is stored in a shell and when the CO2 is discharged the bladder provides the user with 150N of buoyancy. These devices rely on Inflatable chambers that provide buoyancy. There are two types of inflators : manual that require you to pull the tab to pierce the CO2 cylinder and automatic has a chemical that dissolves once immersed in water creates an automatically discharges the CO2 to provide the bladder to inflate. If the inflators do not discharge the CO2 cylinder the final method is for the user to inflate the bladder using the oral tube.
KEY PERFORMANCE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS SELF- RIGHTING FREE BOARD TYPE OF BUOYANCY BUOYANCY REQUIREMENT VISIBILITY / SOLAS REFLECTIVE THERMAL PROTECTION OTHER LIFEJACKETS - CAN/CGSB 65.7- M88 BY WEIGHT ADULT KEYHOLE YES YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS 41 kg - 93 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones / 320cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / RADIO POCKET / TC PAMPHLET CHILD KEYHOLE YES YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS 18-41 kg - 58 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones / 320cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / TC PAMPHLET INFANT KEYHOLE YES YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS 18 kg - 31 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones / 320cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / TC PAMPHLET SMALL VESSEL YES YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS 41 kg - 93 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones / 320cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / RADIO POCKET / TC PAMPHLET
KEY PERFORMANCE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS SELF- RIGHTING FREE BOARD TYPE OF BUOYANCY BUOYANCY REQUIREMENT VISIBILITY / SOLAS REFLECTIVE THERMAL PROTECTION OTHER LIFEJACKETS - CAN/CGSB 65.7-2007 CLASS 1 OFFSHORE CLASS2 NEAR SHORE CLASS 2-100N for #1 and #4 Category 1: INHERENTLY BUOYANT YES YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS CLASS 1 : Adult - 40 kg+ 150N Youth - 18 to 40 kg 60N Child - 9 to 18 kg 30N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones / 400cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / RADIO POCKET / TC PAMPHLET Category 2: INFLATABLE YES YES INFLATED CLASS 1 : Adult - 40 kg+ 150 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones / 400cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / RADIO POCKET / TC PAMPHLET Category 3: INHERENTLY BUOYANT / INFLATABLE YES YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS / INFLATED CLASS 1 : Adult - 40 kg+ 150 N ANY ULC / UL APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones with use Codes 1F 3F / 400cm 2 above the water NOT REQUIRED WHISTLE / RADIO POCKET / TC PAMPHLET Category 4: Life jackets with thermal protection that may be inherently buoyant, inflatable or inherent/inflatable. NOT REQUIRED YES INHERENT - PE FOAM LAYERS CLASS 1 : Adult - 40 kg+ 150N Youth - 18 to 40 kg 60N Child - 9 to 18 kg 30N ANY ULC / UL APPROVED FABRICS ~ Yellow, Red, Orange Pantones with use Codes 1F 3F / 400cm 2 above the water A minimum of 0.20 clo when tested on humans in turbulent water and 0.12 clo when tested using a thermal manikin in turbulent water WHISTLE / RADIO POCKET / TC PAMPHLET
KEY PERFORMANCE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS SELF- RIGHTING FREE BOARD TYPE OF BUOYANCY BUOYANCY REQUIREMENT VISIBILITY / SOLAS REFLECTIVE THERMAL PROTECTION OTHER PFD'S - CAN/CGSB 65.11- M88 BY WEIGHT SUITS / COATS / JACKETS / VESTS for Adults NOT REQUIRED YES INHERENT PVC FOAM LAYERS 69 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS NOT REQUIRED WISE CHOICE BROCHURE CHILD / INFANT VEST - CAN/CGSB 65.15- M88 NOT REQUIRED YES INHERENT - PE / PVC FOAM LAYERS 27-41 kg 44 N 14-27 kg 36 N 9-14 kg 27 N ANY ULC APPROVED FABRICS NOT REQUIRED WISE CHOICE BROCHURE
KEY PERFORMANCE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS SELF- RIGHTING FREE BOARD TYPE OF BUOYANCY BUOYANCY REQUIREMENT MAIN SHELL ~ BLADDER / VISIBILITY / SOLAS REFLECTIVE THERMAL PROTECTION OTHER INFLATABLES ( PFD ) - UL1180 with Canadian Addendum HARNESS / NON HARNESS / WAIST PACK YES YES INFLATED 150 N ANY UL APPROVED FABRICS with 1F 3F codes NOT REQUIRED WISE CHOICE BROCHURE / OWNER S MANUAL / REARM KITS
Free Board measurement from corner of mouth to water when floating freely Self Righting subject is able to turn over face up unaided when immersed face down in the water
Other noted TESTING that is at the Raw Material level includes : UV Testing Xenon Arc Exposure for fabrics Tensile testing of webbing, buckles, thread Seam strengths of desired construction and closures or types of fabrics Buoyancy, V Factor of foams Attachment strengths on closures and adjusters Oil Resistant exposure type test Corrosion resistant Breaking / tearing strengths Visibility CAN/CGSB 65.19M textiles (fabric, webbing, cord, lacing, thread) is used. CAN/CGSB 65.18M for foam is used. So you can see that Canadian (plus NA) Flotation Garments have very a stringent quality surveillance. Follow up quarterly UL / ULC inspections have visual examinations, reviews of records, counter checking with each audit for manufacturers of finished goods and raw materials.
WHAT IS NEW : Canada is looking at harmonizing to the North American Standard ( UL1123 ) or ISO Standard ( 12402 ) This is a continual discussion with working groups as STP ~ Standards Technical Panel and CMAC ~ Canadian Marine Advisory Council. New Innovation from Industry to help with Comfort, Safety and Use is always at the forefront. WCB in Nova Scotia with Department of Labour and Fisheries Safety Association has been promoting for the fishing communities with their Man Overboard Drill.
THANK YOU, Annette Vidito, BHEc DESIGN & QC MANAGER CLIMATE TECHNICAL GEAR 131 THORNHILL DRIVE DARTMOUTH NOVA SCOTIA B3B 1S2 1.902.468.6382 x308 www.climategear.ca