§ 160.006-5 - Cleaning life preservers (where buoyancy fillers are not removed from envelope covers during cleaning process).

(a) General. Only life preservers of Coast Guard approved types shall be admitted to cleaning under Coast Guard supervision. Neither the formula for the cleaning solution nor the time and temperature limits are prescribed or restricted by this subpart, except that the strength of the tapes and fabric shall not be unduly lessened by the cleaning and the cleaned life preservers shall be in good condition and satisfactorily pass the buoyancy requirements specified below.

(b) Inspections and tests—(1) General. An inspector shall examine all cleaned life preservers at the place the work is done. Life preservers having tears, rips, weakened or broken straps, excessive weight, or other abnormalities as compared to new life preservers, shall be eliminated. He shall select from each lot of 250 or less cleaned life preservers, at least five life preservers to be tested for buoyancy. If the specimen life preservers all pass the buoyancy test described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section the lot shall be acceptable as to buoyancy. If any one of the specimen life preservers fails the buoyancy test, ten additional specimen life preservers shall be selected at random from the lot and tested for buoyancy. If all of the ten additional specimen life preservers pass the test, the lot shall be acceptable as to buoyancy. If any one of the ten additional specimen life preservers fails the buoyancy test, the lot shall be rejected. Rejected lots may be tested 100 percent by the cleaner and all non-conforming units eliminated, whereupon the remainder of the lot may be resubmitted for official inspection. When any specimen life preserver shall fail the buoyancy test, ten specimen life preservers shall be selected at random and tested from the next succeeding lot submitted for official inspection. When the inspector has satisfied himself that the life preservers are of approved types, are in good condition and are satisfactory as to buoyancy as shown by the tests of representative specimens, they shall be plainly marked in waterproof ink with the word “Passed (Marine Inspection Office identification letters, date).”

(2) Buoyancy test. The specimen cleaned life preserver shall be tested for buoyancy by placing it in a weighted wire cage which shall be submerged two hours in a tank of water so the top is approximately two inches below the surface. The weights shall be more than sufficient to submerge the cage with the inclosed life preserver. The buoyancy shall be determined to equal the weight of the weighted cage in water less the weight of the weighted cage in water with the life preserver inside. The adult life preserver shall support not less than 161/2 pounds net weight, and the child life preserver shall support not less than 11 pounds net weight.

(c) Marking. Each life preserver cleaned or laundered shall be plainly marked in waterproof ink at or near the center of the jacket with the words “Cleaned By (name and address of company), (date).”

(d) Procedure for approval. Approval for cleaning or laundering life preservers as a unit, with the buoyancy fillers inside the covers, the whole being subjected to the cleaning or laundering process, is granted only by the Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Washington, DC 20226. Correspondence pertaining to the subject matter of this subpart shall be addressed to the Coast Guard District Commander of the district in which the factory is located. In order for a company to obtain approval, an inspector will be detailed to select at random not less than four specimen life preservers from among used, soiled life preservers offered for cleaning and will observe the specimens selected during the cleaning process in order to ascertain that they are cleaned in accordance with the company's stated description of the process. The cleaned specimen life preservers, together with four copies of the complete description of the procedure, including the formula for the cleaning solution and time and temperature for various operations, shall then be forwarded through the Coast Guard District Commander to the Commandant.