There should be jail time involved when a manufacturer markets substandard
safety equipment. Are there no
safety standards set by a governing body in each country of use, or in this case EU approved?
The prudent mariner should be willing to pay a fair
price for an approved
safety product. I have no safety device aboard which isn’t U.S. Coast Guard Approved. The prudent mariner should also thoroughly inspect every piece of
safety equipment before it is put aboard, and once again on an annual basis, at the minimum.
I enter all my tests in the ships log to ensure proof of due diligence and to act as a list for subsequent years.