On this page
- Policy objective
- Policy statement
- Scope
- Authority
- Responsibility
- Related documents
- Background
- Date of application
- Date for review
- RDIMS Reference
- Keywords
1 Policy objective
1.1 Improve safety by accepting new standards that allow manufacturers to produce innovative equipment that meets both Canadian and American safety requirements.
1.2 Improve safety by allowing more comfortable and wearable personal floatation devices (PFDs) for use on some vessels in Canada.
2 Policy statement
2.1 Transport Canada recognizes that inherently buoyant Level 100 lifejackets, certified by a Product Certification Body as per ANSI/CAN/UL-12402-4, Personal Flotation Devices - Part 4: Lifejackets, Performance Level 100 - Safety Requirements, can be substituted for small vessel lifejackets certified to CAN/CGSB-65.7-M88 or Class 2 lifejackets certified to CAN/CGSB 65.7-2007.
2.2 For now, Level 100 lifejackets that use inflatable technology to achieve the minimum performance requirements of ANSI/CAN/UL-12402-4 are not included in this policy and can’t be substituted for small vessel lifejackets certified to CAN/CGSB-65.7-M88 or Class 2 certified to CAN/CGSB 65.7-2007.
3 Scope
3.1 This policy applies to any vessel that’s required to carry approved lifejackets by the:
- Small Vessel Regulations
- Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations
- Special-purpose Vessels Regulations
4 Authority
4.1 This policy falls under the overall administrative authority of the Director General of Marine Safety and Security.
4.2 The Marine Safety and Security Executive Committee has approved this policy for general use.
5 Responsibility
5.1 The Executive Director of Domestic Vessel Regulatory Oversight will make sure this policy is developed, approved and maintained.
5.2 The Regional Directors of Marine Safety and Security are responsible for implementing this policy.
5.3 Please email questions or comments to marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca, or mail to:
Manager, Small and Fishing Vessels, Design and Equipment Standards (AMSDS)
Transport Canada
Place de Ville, Tower C
330 Sparks St
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5
6 Related documents
6.1 TP 14475, Canadian Life Saving Appliance Standard
6.2 TP 14612, Procedures for Approval of Life-Saving Appliances and Fire Safety Systems, Equipment and Products
6.3 ANSI/CAN/UL-12402-4: Personal Flotation Devices – Part 4: Lifejackets, Performance Level 100 – Safety Requirements
6.4 TP 13585, Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Coast Guard and Transport Canada regarding Approval of Personal Lifesaving Appliances
7 Background
7.1 The lifejackets required by the Small Vessel Regulations, the Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations, and the Special-purpose Vessels Regulations must meet the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) Standards for Small Vessel Lifejacket in CAN/CGSB-65.7-M88, Lifejackets, Inherently Buoyant Type or for Class 2 lifejackets in CAN/CGSB-65.7-2007, Life Jackets.
7.2 Transport Canada worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to create other standards to encourage companies to make personal floatation devices products that boaters are more likely to wear. As part of this work, Underwriters Laboratories published the new standard, ANSI/CAN/UL-12402-4, Personal Flotation Devices - Part 4: Lifejackets, Performance Level 100 - Safety Requirements in July of 2020.
7.3 The Level 100 UL 12402-4 lifejackets include design options that are more comfortable and wearable, while still providing a level of safety equivalent to that of lifejackets certified to CAN/CGSB 65.7-2007, or CAN/CGSB-65.7-M88.
7.4 This policy supports the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Coast Guard and Transport Canada regarding Approval of Personal Lifesaving Appliances.
8 Date of application
8.1 This policy comes into effect as soon as it’s published.
9 Date for review
9.1 This policy will be reviewed 5 years after it’s published.
10 RDIMS Reference
10.1 The English version of this document is saved in RDIMS under reference number (17562648). The applied naming convention is (PUBLICATION – TP 13585 – POLICY - ACCEPTANCE OF LIFEJACKETS CERTIFIED TO UL12402-4 AS EQUIVALENT TO THOSE CERTIFIED TO CAN/CGSB 65.7-2007 CLASS 2).
10.2 La version française du présent document est dans le SGDDI et porte le numéro de référence (18064693). La règle d'affectation des noms est (PUBLICATION – TP 13585 – POLITIQUE - ACCEPTATION DES GILETS DE SAUVETAGE CERTIFIÉS UL12402-4 COMME ÉQUIVALENTS À CEUX CERTIFIÉS CAN / CGSB 65.7-2007 CLASSE 2).
10.3 This is the first approved and finalized revision of the English version of this document.
11 Keywords
- Lifejacket
- UL 12402-4
- CGSB 65.7
- Level 100
