Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing a Lifejacket or PFD for Work
In Canada, all regulations regarding the design and approval of lifejackets and PFDs are under federal authority and are the same across Canada. These regulations are now administered by Transport Canada. However, until recently, they were administered by the Canadian Coast Guard, and so some approved flotation devices may still carry Coast Guard approvals.
However, the use of lifejackets or PFDs for work is covered by provincial occupational health and safety legislation. Each province has its own act, regulations and guidelines. While it is important to check the legislation as it applies to the province in which you operate, it is very similar from province-to-province, and so we have used British Columbia as an example.
Workers Compensation Act
(This piece of legislation establishes the legal framework for the more detailed regulations that follow. We have only included the most relevant excerpts here. Consult your provincial legislation for the full text.)
Under the BC Workers Compensation Act:
115 (1) employers must (d) provide and maintain in good condition protective equipment, devices and clothing as required by regulation and ensure that these are used by the employer’s workers.
116 (1) every worker must (b) use or wear protective equipment, devices and clothing as required by the regulations.
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
(These are the “nuts and bolts”.)
The BC Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (as referenced in the sections above) are more specific with regard to PFDs and lifejackets. See Section 8, Part 8: Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment.
8.2 Responsibility to provide
(1) A worker is responsible for providing
(a) clothing needed for protection against natural elements
(b) general purpose work gloves and appropriate footwear ...
(c) safety headgear
(2) An employer is responsible for providing, at no cost to the worker, all other items of personal protective equipment required by this Regulation.
8.7 Instruction
The employer must ensure that a worker who wears personal protective equipment is adequately instructed in the proper use, limitations, and assigned maintenance duties for the equipment to be used.
Buoyancy Equipment
(1) A worker who is employed under conditions which involve a risk of drowning must wear a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket with sufficient buoyancy to keep the worker’s head above water.
Raven Rescue’s notes on the difference between a PFD and a lifejacket:
Lifejackets
A lifejacket, when worn properly, is designed to turn an unconscious person face up in the water, allowing them to breathe. A lifejacket is usually a keyhole style, sometimes has a collar, and comes in two sizes - one for people who weigh over 40 kg (90 lbs), and one for people who weigh less than 40 kg (90 lbs).
Lifejackets must be orange, yellow or red, and have a whistle attached. These include SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) jackets, “standard” lifejackets and “small vessel” lifejackets.
Personal Flotation Devices (PFD’s):
A PFD is designed to keep you afloat in the water but is not designed to turn you over if you are unconscious and floating face down.
PFDs were originally designed for use in recreational boating and are generally smaller, less bulky and more comfortable than lifejackets. For these reasons, more and more people are choosing PFDs for work purposes, and they are approved for use by provincial occupational health and safety regulations in Canada (see below). However, Transport Canada says they are only approved for use in pleasure craft. We are attempting to clarify this disconnect.
Inflatable PFD’s
An inflatable is a type of personal flotation device that either automatically inflates when immersed in water, or is inflated by the wearer using either an oral or manual inflation device. Most inflatable PFDs use a carbon dioxide cartridge to inflate. Approved inflatable PFDs can be worn if you are 16 years or older and weigh more than 36 kilograms. Often, drowning victims are wearing inflatables that have not been inflated. With manual inflatables, it may be due to the fact that the incident occurred too fast to allow the victim to react. With automatic inflating types, the device that triggers inflation often malfunctions or expires. These types need careful storage and maintenance. For these reasons, Raven Rescue feels that for most work around moving water, inflatable PFDs pose an unacceptable risk and we do not recommend them.
Back to BC’s Occupational Safety and Health Regulations
The Regulations cite specific standards for lifejackets and PFDs developed by the Canadian General Standards Board:
(a) CGSB Standard CAN/CGSB-65.7-M88, Lifejackets, Inherently Buoyant Type with a minimum buoyancy of 93 N (21 lbs)*
(b) CGSB Standard CAN/CGSB-65.11-M88, Personal Flotation Devices with a minimum buoyancy of 69 N (15.5 lbs)
(c) CGSB Standard 65-GP-14M, Lifejackets, Inherently Buoyant, Standard Type with a minimum buoyancy of 125 N (28 lbs)*
(d) British Safety Standard BS EN 396-1994, Lifejackets and Personal Buoyancy Aids - Lifejacket 150 N, automatically inflatable units with a minimum buoyancy of 150 N (34 lbs)
* CAN/GGSB-65.7-M and 65-GP-14M (listed above) are now contained within a revised standard titled: CAN/CGSB‐65.7‐2007
To comply with BC’s OSH Regulations, you should purchase a flotation device from one of the above categories. Approved lifejackets and PFDs will include a prominent label citing one of the above standards.
NFPA Standards
In BC, the Fire Commissioner’s office officially adopted NFPA Standards for all departments in January 2003. If your organization wants a set standard for training and operations, it might consider also adopting NFPA Standards. In particular, the NFPA 1952 Standard on Surface Water (ie. Not DIVE) Operations Protective Clothing and Equipment says:
7.10 PFD Performance Requirements include a minimum buoyancy of 22 lbs (9.9 kg).
Our Advice
Our best advice is always: make sure the PFD or lifejacket fits and employees will wear it. If it’s in the back of the truck or under someone’s butt in a boat .... it’s not going to hold your head above water no matter how much flotation it has.
However, we can’t recommend which one is best for your job. Individuals need to evaluate their job descriptions and SOGs to determine which is best for their needs.
Testing a Flotation Device
- Try it on and fasten all the buckles and straps. Make sure you can breathe easily.
- If you can pull it over your head, it’s too big. If you can’t fasten all the buckles and straps comfortably, it’s too small.
- With supervision, enter the water and float on your back. Make sure your chin clears that water so that you can breathe. If your chin/mouth is underwater, you need more flotation.
- Try swimming on your front and back. Make sure you can move well enough and that your PFD or lifejacket does not float up around your face. If so, it’s too big.
