THE Institution has decided to fit Aqualite L.20 automatic lights on all life-jackets in use in the service.

Trials of this lighting device have been carried out at twelve life-boat stations since April, 1960. The lights are auto- matically activated in water, and if a man goes overboard, even though he is unconscious and unable to help himself, the light will become visible.

Investigations into the problem of finding some lighting device to enable a man who has gone overboard from a life-boat to be seen in the water at night have been conducted over the past thirteen years. Various types of lights fitted on to life-jackets have been tested, but hitherto none of those tested had the advantage of lighting up automatically, so that they could be of use to a man knocked unconscious in the act of falling overboard. In 1957 small pieces of Scotchlite were fitted to the shoulder straps of life-jackets.

These can be picked up at a range of 600 yards in the beam of a searchlight, but are not visible in the dark when no external illumination is provided.

The Aqualite L.20, which is made by Messrs. McMurdo Ltd. of Ashtead, Surrey, has been approved by the Air Registration Board for use with life- saving equipment carried in commercial aircraft, and other types of these lights are being used by the Admiralty and the Ministry of Transport. In the type being fitted to the Institution's life- jackets, the battery is a silver chloride- magnesium If volt unit with an indefinite storage life. It is encased in plastic and is unsealed so that it is activated automatically in either salt or fresh water. It will provide power for about twenty hours, but once it has been activated it will become fully discharged.

Orange Coloured Bulb The battery is connected to the lamp unit by a length of polythene-covered wire, in which is inserted a small plastic plug and socket to facilitate the replacement of the battery after use.

The lamp housing is threaded to enable the orange coloured bulb, which has a life of about forty hours and is made to withstand harsh treatment, to be changed when necessary. Both the battery and lamp units are attached to polythene back plates, which fit over rubber buttons secured to the canvas of the life-jackets. The battery is placed to the front on the inside of the apron, so that it will be submerged as soon as the wearer enters the water.

The lamp is sited on one of the shoulder straps when the life-jacket is being worn, and a stowed position is provided for it on the upper edge of the belt when the belt is not being worn. The wire connecting the battery to the lamp unit leads up on the inside of the life- jacket. The batteries can be checked by the district inspector visually, and the possibility of an electrical tester is being investigated.

Reports from those stations where the Aqualite device has been on trial have been most satisfactory. The cost of fitting the device on to life-jackets for authorised crew members, the three spare life-jackets held at each station, life-jackets used by tractor drivers and tractor driver helpers, and those used in boats of the reserve fleet when on passage will be a little over £1.600..