🔍 Key Concepts

• Purpose and limitations of Coast Guard approved buoyant work vests in comparison to full life preservers (lifejackets) • Where work vests are typically worn and by whom during normal working operations • Distinction between equipment used to meet minimum lifesaving requirements versus equipment used as additional safety gear

💭 Think About

• Think about whether work vests are designed to permanently replace required life preservers, or to be worn while people are actively working on deck. • Consider in which situation a work vest would be most practical: during storage, during an emergency abandonment, or during routine duties near the edge of the vessel. • Ask yourself: when crews are doing line handling or working near the side, what type of personal flotation gear is intended for constant wear so that it doesn’t interfere with their work too much?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether work vests can count toward the vessel’s required number of life preservers under Coast Guard regulations. • Check which choice best reflects routine use during normal operations rather than emergency-only use. • Confirm which options describe stowage requirements versus wearing requirements during work, and match that to what you know about work vests.