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Servicing

All SOLAS approved lifejackets are required by law to be serviced annually. All CE approved lifejackets are highly recommended, although not required by law, to be serviced on an annual basis.

All servicing of such LSA products must be carried out by either the manufacturer themselves, or an appointed approved service centre to the relevant standards. All service centres listed are approved by Mullion.

In addition certain countries and certain National Administrations require their own audit and approval on an annual basis. This facilitates customers and end-users being able to select the most appropriate service centre for their requirements in terms of both location and scope of approvals.

Following videos are made for extra guidance next to our service manuals:

Visual check and logging

Double chamber

Perform a full visual check and logging on each lifejacket to check for visual damages. The following parts/areas should be checked:

  1. General materials/cover
  2. Stitchings
  3. Zips and touch and close fastenings
  4. Crutch strap
  5. Reflective tapes
  6. Automatic emergency light (if present)
  7. Whistle
  8. Buddy line (if present)
  9. Attachment points
  10. Oral inflation tubes/valves
  11. Firing mechanism
  12. CO2 gas cylinders

Check/rearm inflation mechanism

Double chamber

Halkey Roberts Alpha inflator double chamber: perform a full check and logging on the inflation mechanism and cylinders. Before starting the re-arming instructions ensure you have the correct rearming kit with the correct size of CO2 cylinder.

Please take extra care when handling the cartridge/ cellulose tables, avoid contact with wet hand or liquids.

Refit cylinder and inflation mechanism to the bladder

Double chamber

Halkey Roberts Alpha inflator double chamber: after checking/rearming the inflation mechanism and cylinder, fit the cylinder onto the inflator with a calibrated torque wrench to 6 Newton. Then the cylinder with the inflator can be fitted back onto the bladder. Torque the cap nut down with a torque wrench to 3 Newton

Air integrity test

This test must be undertaken on 100% of all inflatable lifejackets to ensure there are no air leaks. The air integrity test must be recorded in report form, along with the life jacket serial number, last service date if previously serviced, date of current service being performed.

Inflation must be undertaken in dry conditions and the temperature of the test room must be 20°c ± 5°c.

Double chamber

  1. Place the valve opener into the oral tube end.
  2. Inflate the rear chamber with compressed air equipment or a manometer and through the standard oral tube on the back of the bladder, to 0.5 p.s.i. or 3.5 k.p.a. .
  3. With the same equipment inflate the front chamber through the front oral tube with over pressure valve until the over pressure valve starts to exhaust air.
  4. Leave the bladder inflated for a minimum of 12 hours.

Single chamber

  1. Inflate the chamber with compressed air equipment and a manometer and through the standard oral tube on the front of the bladder, to 1.4 - 1.7 p.s.i. or 9.6 k.p.a. -11.7 k.p.a. .
  2. Leave the bladder inflated for a minimum of 12 hours.

Deflate bladder

Check the bladder after 12 hours – if it is still at full pressure it can be deflated by using the deflation adaptor tool attached to the vacuum.

Folding method

HI-RISE 275 (double chamber)

Once both the bladder and cover have been finally checked, the bladder is packed into the cover using the method shown in the video and the packing procedure illustrations in the relevant service manual.

Other types of life jackets