Life jackets.

[j.sabourn]

The HUET course was the worse one to me , very claustrophobic .had to make so many escapes from a helicopter sitting on the bottom strapped into your seat , all the windows shut and sitting on your head as one of the escape positions. This had to do every 2 years in Australia. JS

[Keith Tindell]

In the Fire service we were required to do that course, this was in the event of fire fighting at sea, being flown out to the ship with various bits of kit, including our own light portable pumps, not a pleasant experience , kt

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi Den
I think they found that if you jumped from a height without holding down the top you could break your neck.
Des

True Des, I remember being told that.
Thankfully I never had to put it to the test.

[Dennis McGuckin]

So far no comments about the upside down bit?

[j.sabourn]

#15.. Dennis the only bit about the old kapok jackets which were still there when I first went to sea that I can partially remember was they had to be tested before distribution to ships to be able to support 22 lbs ? of pig iron in salt water for 12 or 24 hours ? As to passengers only have to watch a video only for ship evacuation , I would imagine that was maybe brought about by people pointing out ,that was the method that airlines used in any case , and what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Cheers JS

PS can remember when today’s so called modern day lifejackets were passed through the Houses of Parliament ,our ever vigilant spreader of the news to their own approval , reported that the minister supporting and bringing in the new Bill, was in fact a director of the company manufacturing the new lifejackets. I thought at the time that the design of the new jackets were too bulky in any case , so read these reports with much gusto , and waved my hands in the air the same as the rest of us unbelievers better known as donkeys, hee-Haw..JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Charles Herbert Lightoller, DSC & Bar, RD, RNR (30 March 1874 – 8 December 1952) was a British merchant seaman and naval officer. He was the second officer on board the RMS Titanic and the most senior member of the crew to survive the Titanic disaster

Seeing crowds of people run away from the rising water, Lightoller realized it would be a futile move to head aft and dived into the water from the roof of the officers' quarters. Lightoller described the shock of the water as being like "a thousand knives being driven into one’s body".

Keith.

I know how he felt, I went over in the North Atlantic during the winter.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Didn’t get a job to do whilst skiving around in the water Des ? JS

[Michael Black]

When I was working offshore I always tried to get a seat next to the window in the chopper. If not I would sit beside a smaller guy as he would be less likely to get jammed in the window, there are some big guys flying out.... I have heard that you are measured across the shoulders now and if above a certain size, no window seat.
We were bringing a rig alongside at McNultys on the Tyne All of us riggers wearing our lifejackets as required as we were working next to open water. One of our safety guys (who had only worked on building sites previously) came on the quay with his lifejacket on back to front. As it was a self inflating type he would have been in trouble if he had gone in.
Regards Michael

[j.sabourn]

#21 On the HUET course itself , as the cabin filled with water I had a bad habit of taken a deep breath too soon , it was a mock up of a Sirosky one time and I had the aisle seat I was over the 2 inside seats before they had even unbuckled and out that window like a shot , pure unadulterated panic. 0n the talk back after the two divers in the water congratulated me on making a perfect escape , didn’t know if they were joking or not. Every escape was the same with me get the hell outa there , I even used to put my hand up as being a non swimmer hoping for preference treatment . I worked on a DSV for 4 years and was often asked if I wanted to go down in the bell with them , I always found an excuse not to, but there again maybe they weren’t serious , but I was .
JS

[Michael Black]

Marian, not sure if they are a standard size or slightly different depending on the kind of helicopter you're on. It is 30 years since I last worked offshore and think others may be able to answer better than me, I do remember they didn't look all that big. probably just my memory making them smaller in my mind lol.
Regards Michael