Enhanced Stearns SOLAS-Approved Portfolio, The First USCG Approved SOLAS Infant Device
March 29, 2011
WICHITA, Kan. (March 29, 2011) – Sailing international waters presents unique rules and regulations for which captains and boat owners are responsible. In response to a recent guideline change by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), The Coleman Company, Inc., which owns the Stearns® brand, is the first manufacturer to offer a USCG/SOLAS-approved, infant-sized PFD, part of the Stearns® portfolio of SOLAS-approved products.
The infant-sized, SOLAS-approved PFD is the third category of safety devices that must be kept aboard most private and commercial vessels in international waters, joining the previously mandated adult- and child-sized categories.
In addition to being the first manufacturer to offer an infant-sized, USCG/SOLAS-compliant PFD, the Coleman-owned Stearns line also offers the industry’s only complete portfolio of SOLAS products. The new infant-sized PFD, like its child- and adult-sized counterparts, offers maximum buoyancy, heavy duty hardware with an attached SOLAS whistle, light clips, lifting loop and buddy line. The infant size is designed for persons weighing less than 33 pounds; the child size is designed for persons weighing 33-95 pounds. The adult size is for individuals who weigh more than 95 pounds.
The Company offers a Stearns SOLAS- and USCG-approved ring buoy, as well as two different protective suits, for other applications. The SOLAS Cold-Water Immersion Suit meets new SOLAS requirements by offering a buddy line and lifting harness. Available in four sizes ranging from child universal (44 to 110 pounds) to adult oversize (220 to 375 pounds), each suit comes in its own size-specific, color-coded storage bag.
Not just providing guidelines for safety devices used in the water, SOLAS requirements also extend to the equipping of thermal protective aids, which are employed on rafts and lifeboats to protect against hypothermia. Rounding out the full portfolio of SOLAS-approved products, the Stearns Thermal Protective Aid is also USCG approved, providing very low thermal conductivity to reduce heat loss. With attached sleeves and hood, this protective aid is built to be worn over PFDs and clothing.
“Certainly, no one wants to encounter a situation where a Stearns SOLAS-approved safety device is needed,” said David Garris, PFD product manager. “The SOLAS guidelines are intended to keep vessels well prepared for hazardous situations at sea and it’s our priority to ensure that we have the appropriate gear that consumers need to comply with these regulations.”
ABOUT COLEMAN
As an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, The Coleman Company, Inc. helps people have fun and make memories by providing the gear integral to their favorite outdoor experiences. The company’s products include its legendary lanterns and stoves, as well as coolers, tents, sleeping bags, airbeds, backpacks, furniture, and grills under the Coleman® brand. Additionally, the company provides flotation devices, towables, rainwear, waders, hunting and fishing gear as well as safety and survival equipment under its Stearns®, Sevylor®, Sospenders®, Hodgman®, Mad Dog Gear®, Helium® and Aerobed® brands. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation and can be found online at COLEMAN.com.
ABOUT JARDEN Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Völkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Forster®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Leslie-Locke®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has over 25,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.jarden.com.