Which organizations create standards for personal flotation devices (PFDs) like lifejackets?

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are the primary organizations responsible for establishing standards for personal flotation devices (PFDs), including lifejackets. The USCG has specific regulations that ensure PFDs meet safety requirements for effectiveness in various conditions. These regulations address factors like buoyancy, design, and performance to minimize the risks associated with water activities.

Meanwhile, the ISO, as an international body, sets global standards that can affect the manufacture and quality of PFDs to ensure they function correctly in diverse environments around the world. Together, these organizations provide crucial guidelines that manufacturers must follow to produce compliant and reliable flotation devices, thereby ensuring public safety.

The other organizations listed, while they may have roles in safety and health, do not specifically pertain to the standards for PFDs. The American Red Cross and National Safety Council focus more on education and training in safety rather than setting manufacturing standards. Similarly, NOAA and OSHA are involved in environmental protection and occupational safety, respectively, and WHO and CDC address broader public health issues, not specifically PFD standards.