This is because in certain regions, such as the USA, the rules are such that signals can be left in a life raft if they are not out of date at the time of the service. This means that the flares could be almost a year out of date when the next service takes place. In addition, rafts can be allowed an extra five months’ grace if the vessel is not near an approved service station.
On a three year lifespan, this puts a flare outside its usable period by some 40%.
It wouldn’t be such a problem if pyrotechnics didn’t degrade so steeply over time. Keith Bradford, product manager of Chemring Marine told MJ that red, the common distress colour, turns a pinkish-white as the components age. He said, ‘Red is the worst colour for fading. Eventually, you may not recognise it as a distress signal. ‘Older flares tend to burn longer at lower candle power, so you have the added risk of a parachute flare still burning when it hits the ground or sea, with an additional fire risk.’
At the moment, all IMO/SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations state that the service life of pyrotechnics is determined by the local marine administration. So, while the vast majority of administrations worldwide stipulate a three year service life for pyrotechnics, some regions still leave this worrying gap.
Bradford added, ‘If products are in service beyond their marked expiry date and then fail to operate to specification in an emergency, who is potentially liable for any legal actions that may ensue? With ever increasing Health & Safety legislative liability, administrations and shipowners/operators ignore ISO standards and manufacturers’ recommendations at their peril.’
He concluded that keeping signals within their use-by date could be a matter of life or death, saying, ‘Our concern is for the safety of users and that the products perform to legislated SOLAS safety standards throughout their service life.’
However, the process may still be a fairly drawn out one, since standardising the regulations does mean ascertaining a shelf life for pyrotechnics across the industry, which also means the brand competitors cooperating with each other.
