# Beware: SuperValu "Life Jackets" are actually buoyancy aids



## Powerboat (30 Jun 2007)

Several weeks ago I ( a Marine Safety Consultant ) noticed products being sold in Super Value Athlone as " Life Jackets ". When I explained to the store manager and also alerted their suppliers Musgraves in Cork by phone that these were not in fact Life Jackets they were removed from sale nation wide.

Sad to say that these items are again for sale in Super Value in Athlone and are being sold and labeled as "Life Jackets".

I presume that they are again being sold nationwide by other Super Value shops.

They are not life jackets. They are buoyancy aids.

The buoyancy aids themselves bear no CE or any other marking at all, but do carry a cardboard tag quoting CE PPE compliance Directive 89/686/EEC.

See http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/strd/ecdirect/page12571.html 

Life jackets are designed to save lives. Buoyancy aids assist competent swimmers to swim. A child who does not know how to swim may drown if they fall into a pool or from a boat while only wearing a buoyancy aid. 

Life jackets and buoyancy aids have completely different construction.

I feel that the sale of these products as “Life Jackets poses a significant risk to children who’s parents may unwittingly trust the product as a life saving device.

I am heading abroad to work for the next two weeks but wanted to publiscise this before I go.  I have also alerted the Irish water Safety Association. I have also posted on my own forums 

Very disappointed with Super Value and their Cork based suppliers, Musgraves, who I  alerted about this a few weeks ago.

Kind regards,

Stuart


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## nad (30 Jun 2007)

*Re: Super Value " Life Jackets*

Fair play to you POWERBOAT for high lightling this,but we need to clarify the  name of offending shop,is it SUPER VALUE, or the nationwide store SUPERVALU.


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## Powerboat (30 Jun 2007)

*Re: Super Value "Life Jackets"*

Super Valu the major chain....

Stuart


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## ClubMan (30 Jun 2007)

*Re: Beware: SuperValu "Life Jackets" are actually flotation aids*

Fair play - I have edited the thread title to hopefully make things a little clearer.


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## Powerboat (30 Jun 2007)

*Re: Beware: SuperValu "Life Jackets" are actually flotation aids*

Hi Admin,

Many thanks for that.

Buoyancy Aids rather than Flotation Aids would be more correct if you can re-tweak. Sorry to be pedantic but it is actually important, both in law and in practice.

Kind regards,

Stuart


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## ClubMan (30 Jun 2007)

My mistake. Fixed now.


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## Howitzer (2 Jul 2007)

Fair play. It would be great if this thread somehow managed to stay near the top for the duration of the summer months.


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## Powerboat (3 Jul 2007)

I am working abroad in Sweden for the next few weeks but on the advice of the Irish Water Safety Association, I contacted the National Consumer Association by email and phone.

They have now commenced a formal investigation based on my report to them.

Kind regards,

Stuart


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## Powerboat (5 Jul 2007)

Just received an email from the Water Safety Association. 

"I can now update you that Musgraves are as of today, pulling the product from all stores and they are posting a notice explaining the difference between the various products and they are offering refunds". 

Kind regards,

Stuart


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## ClubMan (5 Jul 2007)

_Lidl _(_Moore Street_) today had items described as life jackets. Wonder if these are the real thing or similarly buoyancy aids or the like?


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## Purple (5 Jul 2007)

ClubMan said:


> _Lidl _(_Moore Street_) today had items described as life jackets. Wonder if these are the real thing or similarly buoyancy aids or the like?


 It might be the same stock being offloaded by Musgraves. ClubMan, do they have the product on-line? If so can you post a link for Powerboat to look at?


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## ClubMan (5 Jul 2007)

Purple said:


> ClubMan, do they have the product on-line?


No - I think it's the tail end of one of their previous Thursday/Monday specials that they were clearing.


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## Jock04 (5 Jul 2007)

Like Powerboat, I was involved in Marine safety for many years, and, like him, have challenged shops in the past for wrongly labelling products. (These were shops/chandlers in the UK.)
Glad to see that Powerboat has at least got some kind of positive response from Musgraves. Fair play to him.


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## rabbit (5 Jul 2007)

Yes, fair play to Powerboat.

On a similar nautical safety theme, has anyone any feedback on the cheap sailing dinghies Lidl were selling a few weeks ago? I hear they have very little buoyancy. I heard of a few that capsized and all the kids found they were full of water when righted, and they had to be rescued by rescue services. This would not have happened if they were in the boats the kids usually sailed eg toppers and picos and mirrors.


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## ClubMan (6 Jul 2007)

rabbit said:


> On a similar nautical safety theme, has anyone any feedback on the cheap sailing dinghies Lidl were selling a few weeks ago? I hear they have very little buoyancy. I heard of a few that capsized and all the kids found they were full of water when righted, and they had to be rescued by rescue services. This would not have happened if they were in the boats the kids usually sailed eg toppers and picos and mirrors.


Were all the kids in _Dun Laoghaire_ yesterday using _Lidl _dinghies so?


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## Purple (6 Jul 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Were all the kids in _Dun Laoghaire_ yesterday using _Lidl _dinghies so?


 Fur coat and no knickers stuff...


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## jesster (19 Jul 2007)

Heard on the news today that Super Valu are recalling these buoyancy aids. I just want to say I think Powerboat has done the public a great service by highlighting this point. Maybe some lives were saved because of it. Fair play.


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## Megan (19 Jul 2007)

jesster said:


> Heard on the news today that Super Valu are recalling these buoyancy aids. I just want to say I think Powerboat has done the public a great service by highlighting this point. Maybe some lives were saved because of it. Fair play.



There is also an advert in today's Indo about the recall of these buoyancy aids.


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