The 10 Best Ways to Prevent Man Overboard
1 Tighten lifelines and jacklines. These lines are essential
for containing a fall safely. Keep them taut, replace
any damaged or corroded terminations; specify low stretch
flat jacklines and remove them at the end of each season.
2 Provide secure strong points and handholds. Vital
at workstations, and for moving and clipping inboard
of the jackline and especially on bigger, wider decks.
3 Keep a good foothold. Wear footwear that grips well
on a heeled deck when wet. Fit non-skid deck patches
where necessary.
4 Wear your own combined harness and lifejacket. Wearing
a lifejacket on its own will never keep you out of the
water - only a clipped-on harness will.
5 Keep it securely fitted. If your lifejacket harness
is unfastened or flapping around your waist it can't
be a reliable harness or a reliable lifejacket.
6 Wear a light, compact safety line with an
overload indicator. As clips can't always be released under load,
carry a dedicated line cutter in case you need to disconnect
fast.
7 Always clip on when sailing short handed,
at night, in poor visibility or in heavier weather. Novices, children
and the less able should clip on in all weathers.
8 Do it out of consideration for the skipper, fellow
crew and those who might have to come to your rescue.
9 Look after your kit. Webbing fibres degrade in strong
sun, in damp salt conditions and especially from abrasion.
Destroy any safety line showing wear or contamination
or after any heavy fall. Store all lifejackets, harnesses
and safety lines in a dry place.
10 Trust your own kit. When you look after your own
lifejacket harness and safety line you can trust them
more than anything borrowed.
This advice reflects the present consensus of the Spinlock
special projects team and expert opinion gathered from
friends at the highest levels of international sailing
and sea safety.
Register
online now, for your 5-Year Deckvest Warranty
(*)
(*) Please note that the free 5 year warranty applies
only if your Deckvest has been registered online within
30 days of purchase. Without registration, the standard
2 year warranty period applies.
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