More than 21,000 lifejackets have been recalled due to a fault in a mechanism which may prevent them from inflating correctly.
The faulty Halkey-Roberts mechanism is installed in the Hutchwilco Classic 170N Manual Inflatable Lifejacket and Hutchwilco Super Comfort 170N Manual Inflatable Lifejacket, which were manufactured from June 2021 to May 2022.
In a statement, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) spokesperson Ian Chaplin said “we want to make sure this fault doesn’t cause any preventable accidents”.
“It only takes a couple minutes to check your lifejacket. This voluntary recall is a precautionary step to make sure we can keep New Zealanders as safe as possible this summer,” he said.
Hutchwilco’s website directed people how to check if a lifejacket was subject to the recall.
Maritime New Zealand’s Matt Wood said there were other signs of wear and tear people should educate themselves on.
“Some simple tests include checking for any visible damage, looking for tears, cuts or punctures,” he said.
“It’s also important to check that the webbing, clips and zips are all in good working order.”
More information about the recall was available online.
