Four years in the making, the RNLI’s new lifejackets are a milestone in maritime innovation

A lifejacket is the one item of personal protective equipment (PPE) that our crews must wear: their lives, and the lives of others, may depend on it.

Our volunteers take pride in their kit and maintain it well but, even with regular maintenance and servicing, vital safety gear like this doesn’t last forever. And with the majority of stock now at its 10-year limit, it’s increasingly expensive to maintain.

Innovation has always been at the centre of the RNLI’s work so, just over 4 years ago, the charity started to investigate new designs.

The process was lengthy, taking time to look at what we wanted the new lifejackets to do operationally and technically; making sure they’re appropriate for different lifeboats, weather and sea conditions; consulting our crews; and conducting coastal trials to ensure they perform for a range of crew – from little to large!

As the purpose of lifejackets remains unchanged since the RNLI's first design in 1854, some of the previous requirements are still valid: they should be quick and simple to put on, enable crew members to go into the water on a split-second decision, immediately provide enough buoyancy to support them and another person, and be hard wearing.

An investigation into the effectiveness of existing designs was a vital first step. Allen Stevens, RNLI Senior Engineer for Safety Equipment, approached the users first: ‘I carried out informal interviews to ask crew, without prior briefing, what they liked, didn’t like, what they wanted and didn’t want. They unanimously complained about the weight around the neck area and found the current ones uncomfortable after long periods; they thought it would be useful to have pockets to store items such as casualty care check cards and gloves; and the inshore lifeboat (ILB) crew also wanted a grab handle on the back of the lifejacket so they could be pulled out of the water easily.’

Compiling this feedback with that from RNLI trainers and other staff, Allen developed new specifications for bespoke RNLI lifejackets. He drew up two new lifejacket specifications, one for all-weather and Thames lifeboat crews and the other for ILB crews. The very nature of inshore rescue means that crews are more likely to be in the water so inherent buoyancy is key to an ILB lifejacket.

Comparing these new specifications with lifejackets already available on the open market, Allen and his colleagues found nothing fit for their purpose. They duly invited 5 of the possible 15 manufacturers to tender to make a product that would suit. In December 2008, the challenge began.

Testing, testing and more testing
As well as providing a technical brief, the RNLI invited the potential suppliers to an event that vividly demonstrated the operational circumstances in which a lifejacket would be used. Allen and his colleagues rated each company against a range of commercial and technical criteria, assessing how well they would work with the charity. Finally, in August 2009 they judged the resulting prototypes in action in the wave tank at RNLI College.

All testing involved crew wearing helmets, drysuits or jackets and trousers, and boots, swimming 25m in calm and rough conditions. Allen explains: ‘This requirement goes beyond the British Standard (BS EN ISO 12402) and is not normally part of lifejacket testing but I believe it’s essential to prove that the kit works in the most demanding conditions that our crews encounter.’

This brought the initial shortlist down to two but there were still areas to improve upon. Allen needed to know that a fully kitted crew member could get out from under a capsized Atlantic lifeboat. After more testing, changes were incorporated into the designs – but there was still one area that no company had yet overcome.

Sizing up the problem
The in-water performance of all lifejackets is dependent on the wearer’s body mass, size and shape. This was particularly apparent when it came to testing the prototypes' ability to turn over a wearer who was lying face down in the water. They proved inadequate for individuals of less than 50kg or more than 150kg, yet RNLI crew range from 43–185kg and 1.5–2.15m. The project was halted for the RNLI's specialists and the two suppliers to carry out further research and development.

In June 2010, the resubmission from one supplier, Crewsaver, crossed this final hurdle and the RNLI declared them preferred designer and supplier.

Nigel Parkes, Design Manager at Crewsaver, commented: ‘It has been a challenge to meet the exacting requirements of the RNLI but we worked hard to achieve this and are delighted to be selected.’ Approval to CE Standard came in February 2011 and Allen's team gave Crewsaver the go-ahead to produce lifejackets for 6 months of coast trials.

More than 80 volunteers at 14 lifeboat stations put the kit through its paces. Their feedback was positive but revealed the quick-burst zip around the inside of the lifejacket to be too weak. The lifejacket inflates through three of these burst points, using the same technology as car air bags. Modifications were again made and coast trials resumed for a further 3 months before the final design was agreed and Crewsaver was awarded the contract in July 2011. In recognition of many years of collaboration, the RNLI also made Crewsaver our Supplier of the Year.

A unique achievement
Allen brings us up to date: ‘The culmination of our 4-year project saw the first of the production lifejackets arrive at stations in Scotland in January and all stations around the service should receive them by the end of the year.'

Word will soon spread that both performance and comfort have improved: 'Although the lifejackets are slightly heavier than the previous design, the harness holds this weight at the waist rather than the neck – and the kit is more compact. The shaping gives freer movement for the arms and ensures that heads are kept well clear of the water and at the optimum angle.

It's unique in providing 290 Newtons of buoyancy when inflated, achieved using a 60g gas cylinder rather than the previous 28g. And dual side adjusters allow crew to quickly customise to a perfect fit.’

Other features include a water-activated flashing light, flare pockets and a spray hood that can be easily deployed. With reinforced tubing to stand proud, the hood makes crew more visible in the water and reduces the risk of spray being inhaled.

Allen concludes: 'The lifejackets provide a new benchmark in the field of search and rescue, which is hugely rewarding for everyone involved. It’s wonderful to see these innovative designs in use by our extraordinary lifesaving volunteers.’

Cost and funding
The RNLI has secured the new lifejackets at less than the cost of our current kit and negotiated a royalty of 20% on every sale to a third-party. (The designs stimulated much interest at last year's meeting in Shanghai of the International Maritime Rescue Federation, further cementing our reputation for world-leading technology.)

Many supporters have contributed to our regional lifejacket appeals – thank you! Find out more in your issue of RNLI Compass or online at rnli.org.uk/compass.

Not at the mercy of the sea
Inherent buoyancy in inshore lifeboat lifejackets provides instant reassurance and security for the wearer, something required by both crew and casualty during a rescue in June 2011.

Bronze Medal Helmsman Darren Crowe (see page 2) rescued fisherman Simon Haston, trapped in a cave at low tide. Darren swam through a narrow fissure to reach the terrified man, who was at the mercy of the powerful swell, cold, and clinging to a halfsubmerged rock.

Simon put his trust in Darren and his lifejacket, tightly gripping him around the neck. Darren added extra buoyancy by manually inflating the additional bladder in his lifejacket and the pair swam towards the tunnel’s entrance before being recovered by the station’s lifeboat. Simon reflects: ‘If the RNLI had not been there I would have died that day.’