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VCU Safety

VCU Safetycentre B.V. (operating under the ISO 9001:2015 standard) is a separate entity within VCU that primarily focuses on onboard safety for vessels in sectors such as fishing, offshore, inland shipping, and water sports.

VCU Safetycentre ensures this safety by periodically inspecting and certifying safety equipment such as life rafts, lifting and hoisting gear, life jackets, fire extinguishers, and medical kits. To that end, the Safety Centre is certified by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILenT), TÜV Netherlands, and the manufacturers whose safety products it is authorized to inspect.

Direct contact

Are you a customer of the VCU Safety Centre? Then you can view all certificates online. You can access the certificate portal via the button below.

Certificatenportal

Life rafts

When a vessel is at risk of sinking, the life raft is the crew’s last resort. VCU Safetycentre inspects and supplies life rafts tailored to customer requirements for both commercial shipping and recreational boating.
VCU is an authorized dealer and inspection center for the top French brands Zodiac (for commercial shipping) and Plastimo (for recreational use), and is certified to perform inspections for both brands.
For commercial vessels, VCU supplies SOLAS-approved Zodiac life rafts with either an annual inspection cycle or a 2.5-year inspection interval. It is also possible to enter into a rental agreement, and the staff at VCU Safetycentre will be happy to provide detailed information about this option.

The inspections of life rafts, as well as various types of life jackets, are carried out by a team of certified inspectors who regularly attend training courses, including in France, to maintain their qualifications.

Life Raft Inspection Certificate

After approval, the life raft is issued with a new certificate that includes all relevant details of the raft, the owner, and the vessel. For recreational boating, the certificate also includes a photo of the life raft in its inflated state. This certificate serves as proof that the life raft has been professionally inspected and certified.

For more information, send us an e-mail or get in touch via the contactpagina.

Life Jackets

VCU Safetycentre is certified to inspect and certify a wide range of life jacket brands for both commercial shipping and recreational boating. The most common brands include Mullion, Besto, ISP, Plastimo, Marinepool, Crewsaver, Helly-Hansen, and Talamex. Other brands are of course also inspected.
The life jackets are pressurized, and after a minimum of one hour, the pressure is checked again. The jackets then remain pressurized for 24 hours, after which the components are replaced and the jacket is repacked.

Life Jacket Regulations and Certification

Inspections are carried out in accordance with CE, EN395, NSI, SOLAS, and IMO regulations.
After inspection, you will receive a certificate for your automatic inflatable life jacket, officially confirming that it meets the current standards. This certificate can be presented to the relevant authority during an inspection.

SOLAS life jackets with AIS PLB

SOLAS-certified automatic inflatable life jackets must be inspected annually. Life jackets for commercial use require inspection every two years, and for recreational boating, a three-year interval applies, unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer.

VCU Safetycentre is an official dealer of Besto and Mullion, and in collaboration with the latter, has developed its own SOLAS life jacket: the Mullion Compact Ultrafit 275N SOLAS, which combines performance with exceptional wearing comfort.

Almost all life jackets can also be equipped with the Ocean Signal MOB1 AIS-PLB (Personal Locator Beacon), which uses AIS to send an alert, significantly simplifying the search and rescue of a person overboard.

Quality inspections

When VCU Safetycentre inspects your safety equipment, you can feel confident and reassured. As a certified inspection station, we provide you with the peace of mind you expect when it comes to safety.
Perfect quality combined with thorough inspections and truly outstanding service.

For more information, send us an e-mail or get in touch via the contactpagina.

Lifting and hoisting equipment

VCU Safetycentre supplies a complete range of lifting and hoisting equipment in various types and qualities.

  • GR 80
  • GR 100
  • Master links
  • Chains
  • Hooks
  • Shackles
  • Inspections
  • Certification
  • Own test bench up to 120 tons.

For more information, send us an e-mail or get in touch via the contactpagina.

Lifenet

Markus Lifenet

The Markus Lifenet is a unique SOLAS-approved product that enables the rescue of a person overboard within crucial seconds, using only two people. The Markus Lifenet can also be deployed with the assistance of a crane.

A major advantage of the Markus Lifenet is that, on Dutch vessels, it is permitted to replace the MOB boat. The MOB boat takes up a lot of space and, on many vessels, is quite literally in the way.

The Markus Lifenet, on the other hand, requires only one square meter of space. For regulations regarding MOB equipment in other countries, it is best to contact the appropriate authorities.

For more information, send us an e-mail or get in touch via the contactpagina.

Safety Helmets

VCU Safetycentre supplies the Gecko Open Face Marine safety helmet for head protection, a model well known from use by, among others, the KNRM, and already in service on many fishing vessels. The helmet is available in various colours and can be equipped with a headset, enabling crew members on deck to communicate with the skipper on the bridge via, for example, a VHF radio channel.

For more information, send us an e-mail or get in touch via the contactpagina.