Which PFDs would be considered readily accessible when using a small boat or a larger cruise ship boils down to how and where PFDs are stored.
PFDs would be considered readily accessible when they are close to the boat passengers seat and not kept in a locked closet.
One of the most important things to take care of when on a boat is the safety of the boat.
The safety of the passengers onboard is also a top priority too.
That is why it is always important to always use your pre-departure checklist before a boat departs for any journey.
This will ensure that the thing that will guarantee the safety of the boat and the passengers on board are all intact.
One of these things is the personal floatation devices for the people onboard the boat.
But storing the personal floatation devices like your life jacket in an easy to access way will help bring more safety when boating.
Which PFDs Would Be Considered Readily Accessible
1) When They Are Worn By Passengers
To protect a passenger that is onboard a boat, one of the most important things to do is to make sure that they are using a personal floatation device.
One of these devices is the life jacket.
This helps in increasing the safety of a passenger that is onboard a boat.
It really helps reduce the level of casualty that is sustained in case a man overboard situation occurs.
But this is only possible when the PFD is readily accessible.
One of the ways a personal floatation device can be readily accessible is when it is being worn by the people onboard a boat.
In such a case, running to look for one will be minimized in times of emergencies on the boat.
This helps in really making sure that casualties in a boat are reduced when something goes wrong.
2) When They Are Kept Close To The Passenger Seats
PFDs would be considered readily accessible when they are kept in places that are close to the passengers.
A better way of doing this is when they are kept close to the seat of the passengers in the boat.
This will remove the chances of running around to look for one in case an emergency occurs.
This keeps the passengers in the boat safe at all time.
Before a boat departs on a journey, passengers should be enlightened on how to make use of the personal floatation devices available in the boat.
Also, they should be shown where they are kept close to them to make it easy for them to access it when they have a need to use them.
3) When The PFDs Are Stored In An Open Container
To make a life jacket easily accessible, you have to make sure that you keep them in a container that is not locked.
In some boats, having individual provision for PFD storage for every passenger onboard a boat may not be available.
This makes it hard for them to be properly kept sometimes.
To make it easily accessible to the passengers when they need it, most of the boat operators usually put it in a container.
In putting it in a container, the container should not be locked.
This is to help make the life jacket easily accessible when needed.
4) When They Are Not Kept In Locked Areas Of The Boat
Most of the places in a boat are usually restricted from the passengers in a boat.
In a lot of times, such areas are usually locked to really make sure that no person without authorization gets in there without permission.
This is because valuables in the boat are usually stored in such places.
Some of the times, the personal floatation device is always kept in these restricted areas by the boat operator.
This is usually a very bad idea because if an emergency occurs in the boat, it will be hard for the life jackets to be easily accessible.
This could lead to drowning which is a boating emergency with the most fatalities.
Apart from drowning, it could also lead to stampeding during an emergency situation in a boat when all the passengers are rushing to gain access to the personal floatation devices.
That is why it is always very important for the boat operator to make sure that the life jacket is easily accessible to the passengers always.
One of the ways of doing this is by putting it close to the passenger’s seat.
This is when PFDs would be considered readily accessible to the people onboard a boat.
Which PFDs Would Be Considered Readily Inaccessible
1) When They Are Kept Far From The Passenger’s Seat
Most of the times, personal floatation devices like a life jacket can be kept in a boat without it being useful in times of emergency.
This is usually due to how they are kept in the boat.
When they are kept in a way they are easily accessible, it makes it useful.
This is because when an emergency situation arises, it is easy to use and also accessible to the people on the boat.
But when they are not well stored, it becomes a problem.
In such a situation, when a boat emergency arises, the level of casualty that is usually recorded is always higher.
That is why things like a life jacket should be kept close to the reach of a passenger in a boat.
2) When They Are Kept In Locked Areas Of The Boat
To some boat operators, one of the floatation devices that is easily accessible is the floating rings.
Due to the safety standards of some boats, the passengers can move about without worrying about wearing a life jacket.
In such boats, the personal floatation devices are usually kept in a place that is far from the easy access of the passengers some times.
This is usually restricted areas in the boat where the passengers are not allowed access.
In the case of an emergency, the PFDs are then brought out.
This is usually bad as it leads to extreme casualties in worse situations.
3) When They Are Stuffed In One Container
PFDs would be considered readily inaccessible when they are stuffed into a container.
When storing PFDs in a container, they should be easy to access.
This is by storing them in a way that does not look too tight or stuffed.
This will make it easy for it to be removed when they are needed.
But when they are stuffed into a container, it makes it hard for it to be easily removed in times of emergency.
Conclusion
It is always important to consider which PFDswould be considered readily accessible when storing them in a boat.
Making the right choice will help keep your passengers more safe in the boat.
This is because when the PFDs are easily accessible, they will help avoid boating emergencies with the most fatalities like drowning.