Product Testing and Quality
Our team takes great care to ensure our vests meet strict quality control and safety approval standards. Production lot records are kept for every vest and quality testing is done regularly. In addition, ULC (Underwriters Laboratories of Canada) conducts surprise inspections at least 4 times a year to review our quality records and standards. ULC in addition, confiscates vests to take back to their testing labs to ensure that the vests meet the strength of assembly, measurement and buoyancy tests. Every component of the vest has to comply with CGSB (Canadian General Standards Board) standards. The foam, fabric, webbing, buckles, zippers and thread are all ULC approved components.
With the use of better fabrics, threads and construction methods, Salus exceeds the current CGSB Standards in the production of their PFDs.
Adventurer Colin Angus Puts Salus PFDs to the Test
We were stoked to have a visit by Colin Angus (National Geographic- Adventurer of the Year 2007), the first person to circumvent the planet using his own power- walking, cycling, skiing and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat from Europe to North America, under often grueling conditions.
Colin watched as a Salus PFD was tested by Salus’ assembly testing apparatus. The Salus PFD successfully stood up to the 350 pounds on weight on the zipper. Our testing equipment can put the PFDs through some pretty tough tests, but none measure up to the tests that Colin Angus puts on his equipment!
The Happy Camper Learns About PFDs
In 2014 the Happy Camper took a tour of our factory to learn more about the production process and how we test components of our PFDs. Kevin even puts a PFD to the test for its strength!
Take a look to see the walkthrough of our Waterloo factory and experience the ‘behind the scenes’ process of building PFDs!