Bureau Veritas cancels lifejacket type approval

Leading classification society Bureau Veriats has withdrawn type appro
val of the lifejackets invloved in the Norwegian Sleipner casualty. BV
, acting as an MCA nominated body, informed the MCA that type approval
had been withdrawn on January 25. BV has also advised the Italian man
ufacturer of the lifejackets involved to cease manufacture and supply
of the jacket and has asked the manufacturer to trace all lot numbers
sold. The manufacturer has also been asked to advise flag administrati
ons and other classification societies that BV type approval has been
withdrawn.
The lifejackets involved are Italian-made Canepa & Campi Artica lifeja
ckets. Reports of failure of the lifejackets during the Sleipner casua
lty led to the Norweigan Maritime Directorate banning their use on Nor
weigan vessels. The jackets had been accepted for Norweigan use based
on a UK MCA Type Approval Certificate. This type approval had been iss
ued on behalf of the UK by Bureau Veritas on the basis of type tests c
arried out in an approved RINA laboratory during 1997.
BV’s head of technical division Pierre de Livois says, “Tests in the
UK have shown doubts as to the performance of these lifejackets. Acco
rdingly, we withdraw type approval last week and we have acted to info
rm all parties that the lifejackets are no longer approved for service
.”
The RINA laboratory will now re-test the jackets and inform the French
, Norweigan, British and Italian administrations, as well as Bureau Ve
ritas, when the tests are to be carried out.
Bureau Veritas, created in 1828, is an international service company d
edicated to preventing risks, improving quality and enhancing safety.
The services offered by Bureau Veritas cover a very wide range: classi
fication and design review, technical assistance, inspection and surve
ying, certification, testing measurement and analysis, project managem
ent and training. To serve more than 100,000 clients in 150 countries,
Bureau Veritas employs a workforce of 10,200, located around the worl
d in 580 offices. In 1999 Bureau Veritas genetrated sales revenues of
Frf4.7 billion in major sectors of the economy: marine and offshore, i
nternational trade, construction, industry, aeronautics and consumer p
roducts.