Lifejacket confusion

The Canepa & Campi Artica lifejackets, which had type approval withdrawn following the sinking of the fast ferry

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, have been given the all-clear by RINa?s laboratory. Witnessed by the Italian government, BV and the UK?s MCA, the re-testing included the unfamiliar persons donning tests (introduced after the initial approval) which was the concern raised by

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survivors.

Following the accident the Robert Gordon Institute for Training tested the lifejackets on behalf of the MCA and failed them on righting, freeboard and the unfamiliar persons donning tests. While the lifejackets pass the tests at RINa, BV has declined to reinstate the type approval on the grounds that the tests do not give repeatable results.

BV has written to both the EU and the IMO about the variable nature of the tests, saying the standards and methods must be changed to make them repeatable.