Custom Search
Boating Safety Tips
Before you even think of taking your brand new boat out for a trip on the water it is in your best interest to take a boat safety course and have a boat safety inspection to check for the mandatory safety equipment. Since this is not professional advice, we would suggest you consult the US Coast Guard for a comprehensive list of mandatory safety equipment, but this article will deal with some of the key ones.
For each occupant of the vessel, you would need to make life jackets available - these days they are now known officially as personal floating devices. And since different individuals would need different sizes life jackets, make sure that they would all fit the people who are supposed to wear them. They should be in good working order with all the straps and clips in place and operational. It is a good idea to have them fitted to the persons so that if necessary they can be put on without much further adjusting. The use of a life jacket is mandated in several states which require a minimum age for usage.
A fundamental aspect of boating safety should be the presence of a fire extinguisher that has been recently inspected. You would need to have the extinguisher marked so that it would be easy to spot in case of emergencies. Every type of fire has its own respective fire extinguisher, so be aware of this as well. You would want to get a Type B or Type C fire extinguisher, because proper boating safety would entail that you have something to extinguish fires caused by oil, gas and grease, as well as electrical fires.
Sanitation - The Unsung Hero of Boating Safety
To ensure the health of the people riding your boat and to stay compliant with state rules and regulations, you will want to provide boating safety through the presence of sanitation devices. But these devices must be duly approved by the US Coast Guard, and must be of the correct specifications for your machine.
Visual distress signals, also known as flare guns to the common man, are yet another key element of boating safety that most states would require you have on your boat. You will use these to give rescuers a sign where you are currently situated, as they emit an ebullient signal when fired. The flare gun must again be readily accessible for a speedy use, but on the other hand they must be stored safely and out of reach of children, as they can cause a lot of damage when wrongly used.
When you are operating a boat with a mounted gasoline engine, it is of utmost importance that you make good ventilation a part of your boating safety checklist. This is because you would not want to allow carbon monoxide to build up and potentially endanger the health of your crew members, nor risk the chances of a fire due to an accumulation of gasoline fumes.
For each occupant of the vessel, you would need to make life jackets available - these days they are now known officially as personal floating devices. And since different individuals would need different sizes life jackets, make sure that they would all fit the people who are supposed to wear them. They should be in good working order with all the straps and clips in place and operational. It is a good idea to have them fitted to the persons so that if necessary they can be put on without much further adjusting. The use of a life jacket is mandated in several states which require a minimum age for usage.
A fundamental aspect of boating safety should be the presence of a fire extinguisher that has been recently inspected. You would need to have the extinguisher marked so that it would be easy to spot in case of emergencies. Every type of fire has its own respective fire extinguisher, so be aware of this as well. You would want to get a Type B or Type C fire extinguisher, because proper boating safety would entail that you have something to extinguish fires caused by oil, gas and grease, as well as electrical fires.
Sanitation - The Unsung Hero of Boating Safety
To ensure the health of the people riding your boat and to stay compliant with state rules and regulations, you will want to provide boating safety through the presence of sanitation devices. But these devices must be duly approved by the US Coast Guard, and must be of the correct specifications for your machine.
Visual distress signals, also known as flare guns to the common man, are yet another key element of boating safety that most states would require you have on your boat. You will use these to give rescuers a sign where you are currently situated, as they emit an ebullient signal when fired. The flare gun must again be readily accessible for a speedy use, but on the other hand they must be stored safely and out of reach of children, as they can cause a lot of damage when wrongly used.
When you are operating a boat with a mounted gasoline engine, it is of utmost importance that you make good ventilation a part of your boating safety checklist. This is because you would not want to allow carbon monoxide to build up and potentially endanger the health of your crew members, nor risk the chances of a fire due to an accumulation of gasoline fumes.