200876 Counterfeit EEBDs

Official report: U S Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 6-08

 

 

The authentic EEBD - top, and the fake - bottom

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has recently learned that counterfeit Unitor model Uniscape 15H EEBD emergency escape breathing devices (EEBDs) are being sold to ship operators and placed on board commercial vessels. The USCG strongly encourages that all vessel owners and operators with EEBDs onboard carefully and thoroughly inspect them for authenticity. If any doubt exists as to the authenticity, they should immediately contact their emergency equipment vendors and/or the manufacturer for verification or replacement.

The number of fake units sold and currently onboard vessels is unknown and could be substantial. The fake reproduction will not fit over an individual's head and the automatic air release valve will not open. A crisis requiring the use of an EEBD will be severely compounded, potentially leading to death, should a crewmember inadvertently rely on a fake reproduction.

The differentiating factors to look for are:

An authentic Unitor Uniscape 15H is contained in a shiny PVC bag. When viewed from the front with the instruction icons upside down, the zipper opens from left to right, and at the left most section of the zipper is a two centimetre gap covered by a clear tab that has a button closure.

The fake reproduction is contained within a dull, canvas-like material bag. When viewed from the front with the instruction icons upside down, the zipper opens from right to left, and at the left most section of the zipper there is no opening, although a tab, made of what appears to be the same material as the bag, is present, with a button closure. This unit will not automatically activate.