Hazards and Safety Measures for Personal Water Crafts
A boat is a type of small watercraft that is designed to float and move through water, providing marine transport.
Many people develop sports and fun activities in operating boats over water. To this end, boat manufacturers design boats for recreational purposes. One type of recreational boat is the personal water craft, or PWC.
A personal water craft is a boat that is large enough for one or two people although four passenger models are also available. Rather than sitting inside a boat, a personal water craft allows a rider or riders to sit or stand on it. These boats have an inboard engine that drives a pump jet. The jet has an impeller that sucks water in and violently pushes the water out from the stern. This creates propulsion that is used for movement and steering.
Personal water crafts are referred to by names such as Wave Runner, Jet Ski or Sea Doo. Most of the popular ones are manufactured by Yamaha, Kawasaki and Bombardier.
Due to their significantly affordable price, personal water crafts are popular for recreational purposes. Lifeguards also use PWCs as patrol and search-and-rescue vehicles. Nevertheless, there are many US states that require PWC owners to attend safety training seminars and sessions.
Operating personal water crafts is quite safe. However, just like any other machine, they must be handled with care. Aside from the dangers of collisions and mechanical breakdowns, people operating these machines may sustain orifice injuries.
Why is this? The main cause of orifice injuries is result of the close proximity of PWC riders to the output end of the pump jet. Usually, riders board through the rear of the vehicle where the pump jet is located. If the engine is triggered while the rider is still trying to board, it can result to serious injuries.
Orifice injuries can also happen if a rider falls off the back of the personal water craft and lands directly in the path of high pressure. The consequences of such accidents can include permanent disability or even death. That is why riders must wear protective garments such as those made of neoprene.
To prevent this, personal water craft often have safety features in them. The standard one is a lanyard attached to a dead man's switch. This lanyard, in turn, is attached to the driver's wrist.
If the driver falls off, the lanyard disengages from the switch, prompting an immediate shutdown of the vessel's engine. This would considerably lessen the risk of orifice injuries.
To know more about safety precautions in operating PWCs, check the machine's manual or search the web.
