🔍 Key Concepts

• Coast Guard–approved buoyant work vests vs. approved life preservers/life jackets • How work vests are stowed so they are not mistaken for required lifesaving gear • When work vests may or may not be used in place of life preservers during drills or emergencies

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Are work vests considered full replacements for required life jackets in all situations, or are there limits on when they can substitute? • Think about an emergency: Would the Coast Guard want any chance of confusion between work vests and the vessel’s required life jackets? • Which option (A, B, C, or D) is fully consistent with the idea that required lifesaving equipment must be clearly available, clearly identified, and not ‘watered down’ by less-protective gear?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether work vests can be counted as part of the required number of life preservers under Coast Guard regulations (46 CFR). • Check if regulations say work vests must be stowed separately or distinctly from life jackets to avoid confusion in an emergency. • Confirm whether work vests are allowed during routine drills and what the limits are on their use in an actual emergency.