FprEN ISO 12402-2

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 12402-2:2015
01-september-2015

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Personal flotation devices - Lifejackets, performance level 275 - Part 2: Safety (German

Persönliche Auftriebsmittel - Rettungswesten, Stufe 275 - Teil 2: Sicherheitstechnische

Équipements individuels de flottabilité - Gilets de sauvetage, niveau de performance 275

- Partie 2 : Exigences de sécurité (Version allemande et anglaise prEN ISO 12402-

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

Should this draft be accepted, a final draft, established on the basis of comments

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior

written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................. v

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... vii

1 Scope ..................................................................................................................................................... ix

2 Normative references ........................................................................................................................... ix

3 Terms and definitions .......................................................................................................................... ix

4 Classification ....................................................................................................................................... xii

4.1 Classes ................................................................................................................................................. xii

4.1.1 Buoyancy Aids ..................................................................................................................................... xii

4.1.2 Lifejackets ............................................................................................................................................ xii

4.1.3 Special purpose devices..................................................................................................................... xii

4.2 Performance levels .............................................................................................................................. xii

4.2.1 Level 50 ................................................................................................................................................ xii

4.2.2 Level 100 ............................................................................................................................................. xiii

4.2.3 Level 150 ............................................................................................................................................. xiii

4.2.4 Level 275 ............................................................................................................................................. xiii

5 Requirements ...................................................................................................................................... xiii

5.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ xiii

5.1.1 Materials and Components................................................................................................................ xiii

5.1.2 Primary means of inflation ................................................................................................................ xiv

5.1.3 Body Strap and Lacing ends requirements ..................................................................................... xiv

5.1.4 Inflation Status Indicators ................................................................................................................. xiv

5.1.5 Ride-Up prevention system ............................................................................................................... xiv

5.1.6 Rearming and Repacking Information .............................................................................................. xv

5.1.7 Secondary Donning ............................................................................................................................. xv

5.2 Combination of lifejackets and accessories..................................................................................... xv

5.2.1 General ................................................................................................................................................. xv

5.2.2 Whistle .................................................................................................................................................. xv

5.2.3 Sprayhood ............................................................................................................................................ xv

5.3 Types of buoyancy ............................................................................................................................. xvi

5.3.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ xvi

5.3.2 Inflatable buoyancy chambers .......................................................................................................... xvi

5.3.3 Total buoyancy provided ................................................................................................................... xvi

5.4 Conspicuousness .............................................................................................................................. xvii

5.4.1 Colour ................................................................................................................................................. xvii

5.4.2 Retroreflective material..................................................................................................................... xvii

5.5 Strength .............................................................................................................................................. xvii

5.6 Performance ....................................................................................................................................... xvii

5.6.1 General ............................................................................................................................................... xvii

5.6.2 Donning, adjustment and fit ............................................................................................................ xviii

5.6.3 In-water performance ......................................................................................................................... xix

5.7 Multi-chamber buoyancy systems .................................................................................................... xix

6 Marking ................................................................................................................................................. xx

6.1 General ................................................................................................................................................. xx

6.2 Information on the lifejacket .............................................................................................................. xx

7 Information supplied by the manufacturer ...................................................................................... xxi

8 Consumer information at point of sale ........................................................................................... xxii

8.1 General ............................................................................................................................................... xxii

8.2 Plain text version ............................................................................................................................... xxii

8.3 Data list .................................................................................................................................................25

8.4 Pictograms ...........................................................................................................................................26

8.5 Colour-code ..........................................................................................................................................26

Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................................27

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies

(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO

technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been

established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and

non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards

adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an

International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent

rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO 12402-2 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 188, Small craft, Subcommittee SC 1, Personal

This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 12402-2:2006, ISO 12402:2006/A.1:2010), of

which have been technically revised. The main changes with respect to the previous edition are listed below:

e) Requirement for different types of buoyancy were modified (see 5.3 and table 2);

ISO 12402 consists of the following parts, under the general title Personal flotation devices:

⎯ Part 6: Special purpose lifejackets and buoyancy aids - Safety requirements and additional test methods;

⎯ Part 10: Selection and application of personal flotation devices and other relevant devices.

This part of ISO 12402 specifies the safety requirements for Personal Floatation Device (PFD) for persons

engaged in activities, whether in relation to their work or their leisure in or near water. PFDs manufactured,

selected, and maintained to this standard should give a reasonable assurance of safety from drowning to a

Requirements for lifejackets on large, commercial seagoing ships are regulated by the International Maritime

Organization (IMO) under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

ISO 12402 allows for the buoyancy of a PFD to be provided by a wide variety of materials or designs, some of

which may require preparation before entering the water (e.g. inflation of chambers by gas from a cylinder or

blown in orally). However, PFDs can be divided into the following two main classes:

⎯ those which provide face up in-water support to the user regardless of physical conditions (lifejackets),

⎯ those which require the user to make swimming and other postural movements to position the user with

Within these main two classes there are a number of levels of support, types of buoyancy, activation methods

for inflatable devices, and auxiliary items (such as location aids), all of which will affect the user‘s probability of

survival. Within the different types of buoyancy allowed, inflatable PFDs either provide full buoyancy without

any user intervention other than arming (i.e. PFDs inflated by a fully automatic method) or require the user to

initiate the inflation. Hybrid PFDs always provide some buoyancy but rely on the same methods as inflatable

PFDs to achieve full buoyancy. With inherently buoyant PFDs, the user only needs to put the PFD on to

PFDs that do not require intervention (automatically operating PFDs) are suited to activities where persons

are likely to enter the water unexpectedly; whereas PFDs requiring intervention (e.g. manually inflated PFDs)

are only suitable for use if the user believes there will be sufficient time to produce full buoyancy, or help is

close at hand. In every circumstance, the user should ensure that the operation of the PFD is suited to the

specific application. The conformity of a PFD to this part of ISO 12402 does not imply that it is suitable for all

circumstances. The relative amount of required inspection and maintenance is another factor of paramount

ISO 12402 is intended to serve as a guide to manufacturers, purchasers, and users of such safety equipment

in ensuring that the equipment provides an effective standard of performance in use. Equally essential is the

need for the designer to encourage the wearing of the equipment by making it comfortable and attractive for

continuous wear on or near water, rather than for it to be stored in a locker for emergency use. Throwable

devices and flotation cushions are not covered by this part of ISO 12402. The primary function of a PFD is to

support the user in reasonable safety in the water. Within the two classes, alternative attributes make some

PFDs better suited to some circumstances than others or make them easier to use and care for than others.

⎯ to provide higher levels of support (levels 100, 150, or 275) that generally float the user with greater water

clearance, enabling the user’s efforts to be expended in recovery rather than avoiding waves; or to

⎯ to provide the kinds of flotation (inherently buoyant foam, hybrid, and inflatable) that will accommodate

the sometimes conflicting needs of reliability and durability, in-water performance, and continuous wear;

⎯ to provide automatically operating (inherently buoyant or automatically inflated) PFDs that float users

without any intervention on their part, except in initially donning the PFD (and regular inspection and

rearming of inflatable types), or to provide user control of the inflatable PFD’s buoyancy by manual and

PFDs provide various degrees of buoyancy in garments that are light in weight and only as bulky and

restrictive as needed for their intended use. They will need to be secure when worn, in order to provide

positive support in the water and to allow the user to swim or actively assist herself/himself or others. The PFD

selected shall ensure that the user is supported with the mouth and nose clear of the water under the

Under certain conditions (such as rough water and waves), the use of watertight and multilayer clothing, which

provide (intentionally or otherwise) additional buoyancy, or the use of equipment with additional weight (such

as tool belts) will likely alter the performance of the PFD. Users, owners and employers need to ensure that

this is taken into account when selecting a PFD. Similarly, PFDs may not perform as well in extremes of

temperature, although fully approved under this part of ISO 12402. PFDs may also be affected by other

conditions of use, such as chemical exposure and welding, and may require additional protection to meet the

specific requirements of use. If the user intends taking a PFD into such conditions, she/he has to be assured

that the PFD will not be adversely affected. This part of ISO 12402 also allows a PFD to be an integral part of

a safety harness designed to conform to ISO 12401, or an integral part of a garment with other uses, for

example to provide thermal protection during immersion, in which case the complete assembly as used is

In compiling the attributes required of a PFD, consideration has also been given to the potential length of

service that the user might expect. Whilst a PFD needs to be of substantial construction and material, its

potential length of service often depends on the conditions of use and storage, which are the responsibility of

the owner, user and/or employer. Furthermore, whilst the performance tests included are believed to assess

relevant aspects of performance in real-life use, they do not accurately simulate all conditions of use. For

example, the fact that a device passes the self-righting tests in swimming attire, as described herein, does not

guarantee that it will self-right an unconscious user wearing clothing; neither can it be expected to completely

protect the airway of an unconscious person in rough water. Waterproof clothing can trap air and further

It is essential that owners, users and employers choose those PFDs that meet the correct standards for the

circumstances in which they will be used. Manufacturers and those selling PFDs have to make clear to

prospective purchasers the product properties, alternative choices and the limitations to normal use, prior to

Similarly, those framing legislation regarding the use of these garments should consider carefully which class

and performance levels are most appropriate for the foreseeable conditions of use, allowing for the higher risk

circumstances. These higher risk circumstances should account for the highest probabilities of occurrence of

accidental immersion and the expected consequences in such emergencies. More information on the

This part of ISO 12402 specifies the safety requirements for lifejackets, performance level 275. It applies to

lifejackets for adults, children or infants for offshore use under extreme conditions.

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated

references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced

ISO/DIS 12402-5:2015, Personal flotation devices — Part 5: Buoyancy aids (level 50) — Safety requirements

ISO/DIS 12402-7: 2015, Personal flotation devices — Part 7: Materials and components — Safety

ISO/DIS 12402-8: 2015, Personal flotation devices — Part 8: Accessories — Safety requirements and test

IMO Resolution A.658 (16), Use and fitting of retro-reflective materials on life-saving appliances, International

garment or device which, when correctly worn and used in water, will provide the user with a specific amount

PFD in which inflation is effected as a result of immersion without the user carrying out any action at the time

IMO is an institution with domicile in London issuing regulations which are then published as laws by its

PFD for which additional donning or adjustment is needed to place the PFD in its functioning position from the

Note 1 to entry: Pouch-type devices are examples of the type of PFDs which usually require such additional

PFD with buoyancy to meet the applicable PFD performance requirement provided by multiple sources

including, for example, devices with two or more independent inflatable chambers or hybrids, for which each

chamber independently provides at least the in-water performance conforming to ISO 12402-5

device that allows a user to be securely attached to a strong point on a vessel or on shore, so as to prevent

him from falling into the water, or, if he does fall into the water, to prevent him from being separated from the

length of cord which can be tied or otherwise fixed to another person or to that person's PFD or other objects,

so as to keep a user in the vicinity of that person or object with a view to making location and thus rescue

cover brought or placed in front of the airways of a user in order to reduce or eliminate the splashing of water

from waves or the like onto the airways, and thereby promoting the survival of the user in rough water

cover that is normally in place over the functional elements of a PFD in order to protect them from physical

Note 1 to entry: The protective cover may be designed to provide additional properties, i.e. to make the PFDs suitable

for use when the subject is exposed to additional hazards, e.g. significant abrasion, molten metal splash, flame and fire.

Note 2 to entry: The inflatable chamber of an inflatable PFD is an example of a functional element.

valve which may be used in an inflatable system to avoid the likelihood of destruction caused by overpressure

device which, when blown by mouth, produces an audible sound which can aid in the location of the user

curling or folding of internal buoyant material upon itself, from its original position, within the envelope

water with protection from significant breaking waves, current, or strong winds, where the possibility of being

water that is unprotected and influenced by a variety of threat conditions such as waves, tide, currents, or

means of inflating an inflation chamber that meets the applicable PFD performance requirements and that

requires the least amount of intervention by the user, generally according to the following order of precedence:

inflation chamber(s) associated with the primary inflation system that alone meets the applicable PFD

performance requirements and provides the greatest in-water performance and ease of use

inflation chamber(s) other than the primary chamber(s) that, when used alone, alone provides at least in-water

performance conforming to the relevant part in case the primary inflation chamber fails to function

inflation chamber(s) other than a primary or back-up chamber that is intended for deployment after