§ 14-15-14-3 — Ring life buoy installation and standards

(a) The following apply to a ring life buoy
installed on a pier or public access site under section 2(a) of this
chapter:
(1) The ring life buoy must not be permanently secured in any
way to a station, rack, or pier.
(2) The ring life buoy must be stowed inside a station to protect
it from constant weather exposure.
(3) The ring life buoy must meet the requirements of:
(A) 46 CFR 160.050; or
(B) 46 CFR 160.150;
for Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) approved equipment, or must
meet other standards for public rescue equipment issued by the
United States Coast Guard.
(4) There must be attached to each ring life buoy a buoyant line:
(A) that:
(i) is at least one hundred (100) feet long; or
(ii) if the ring life buoy is secured to a station, rack, or pier
more than fifty (50) feet away from the Lake Michigan
shoreline, is at least twenty-five (25) feet longer than the
distance between the station, rack, or pier to which the ring
life buoy is secured and the Lake Michigan shoreline;
(B) that has a breaking strength of at least five (5) kilonewtons;
and
(C) the end of which must not be secured to the shore.
(5) The ring life buoy must be marked with type II retroreflective
material meeting the requirements of 46 CFR 164.018.
(6) The ring life buoy:
(A) must be placed not more than two hundred (200) feet from
the shoreline of Lake Michigan; and
(B) must be available for emergency rescue operations.
(b) A station in which a ring life buoy is stowed under subsection
(a)(2) must:
(1) be a bright orange, red, or yellow color for high visibility to
aid with quick access to the ring life buoy; and
(2) bear signage that warns lakefront patrons that tampering with
or misusing public rescue equipment is strictly prohibited.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.35-2024, SEC.5.