Infant's lifejacket
Identifies an infant’s lifejacket.
Understanding this sign
Green square or rectangular signs identify emergency escape routes, safety facilities, and rescue equipment.
Follow the complete wayfinding system and local emergency plan. A symbol alone does not establish a safe route.
The Smallest Size Class, Signed Separately
E046 identifies stowage of lifejackets made for infants, the smallest of the three size classes ISO 7010 distinguishes, below the child jackets of E045 and adult jackets of E044. Its pictogram shows an adult figure holding an infant wearing a jacket, which reflects reality: an infant in the water is never a self-rescuing casualty, and the device is designed around being managed by an accompanying adult.
Because a baby cannot be scaled down from a child's jacket any more than a child can borrow an adult's, the infant class is a distinct product, and its stowage warrants a distinct sign rather than a shared locker label that forces sorting by hand during an alarm. Quantities are also small compared with adult stock, which makes the few infant jackets on board easy to lose track of unless their location is fixed and marked.
How Infant Jackets Differ
Infant lifejackets carry proportionally generous buoyancy around a collar that cradles the head, since an infant has neither the neck strength nor the instinct to keep an airway clear. Typical designs add a substantial crotch strap to stop the body sliding out, and many include a grab loop so a parent or rescuer can hold or lift the child in the water. Sizing follows body mass ranges stated on the label, with infant models covering the lightest band.
These features make the jackets bulky relative to the wearer, and they are usually stowed flat in small quantities. Cruise lines and ferry operators generally issue them on request or deliver them to cabins with infants, with a reserve at muster stations under E046 signage so the distribution crew can top up families who boarded late or missed the cabin issue.
Placement and Family Muster Planning
SOLAS amendments extended passenger-ship carriage rules to require lifejackets suitable for infants in addition to the child allocation, so operators must know where that stock sits and be able to produce it fast. Post E046 on the specific locker or shelf, not just the room, and reference the location in muster organisation documents so the crew member assigned to jacket distribution goes straight to it.
Ashore, the sign is relevant to swim schools with parent-and-baby sessions, tour boat operators carrying families, and rental fleets. Anywhere infants are welcomed onto or near the water, an unsigned bag of baby jackets in a back office fails at the exact moment it is needed; the E046 sign is what converts stock into accessible equipment.
Where you will see E046
Cruise lines and ferry operators post it on the specific locker or shelf holding the infant reserve at muster stations, referencing the location in muster organisation documents so the crew member assigned to jacket distribution goes straight to it. Ashore it serves swim schools with parent-and-baby sessions, tour boat operators carrying families, and rental fleets, where an unsigned bag of baby jackets in a back office fails at the moment it is needed.
Common questions about E046
What is the difference between an infant and a child lifejacket?
Infant models are built for the lightest body-mass band and assume the wearer is completely dependent: they concentrate flotation in a head-supporting collar, use secure crotch strapping to keep the small body in the jacket, and often add a grab handle for the accompanying adult. Child jackets suit heavier, more capable wearers. The stated mass range on the label is the deciding factor, not age.
Do ferries and cruise ships have to carry infant lifejackets?
Yes on SOLAS passenger ships: carriage requirements cover lifejackets suitable for infants alongside the child-size allocation, and operators typically hold them at reception, in family cabins, and in reserve at muster stations. Smaller domestic vessels fall under national rules, so parents travelling with a baby on small craft should confirm with the operator before boarding.
Where should the E046 sign be placed?
On the actual container of infant jackets, whether that is a muster station locker, a shelf in the lifejacket store, or a cabinet at a boat rental desk, plus in any plan or briefing material that tells crew where to fetch them. Signing the room but not the shelf still leaves a searcher opening boxes while holding a baby.
Can an infant wear a swim float or armbands instead of a lifejacket on a boat?
No. Swimming aids like armbands, float seats, and swim vests are play and training equipment for supervised pools; they are not designed to keep an infant face-up in open water or to survive waves and wake. On a vessel, an infant needs a proper infant lifejacket of the correct mass range, which is exactly the stock the E046 sign locates.
Reference details
| Symbol code | E046 |
|---|---|
| Sign family | ISO Emergency Signs |
| Standard reference | ISO 7010:2019 / ISO 3864-1 ISO Online Browsing Platform: E046 |
| Screen color reference | #009933. Screen colors are not a production color specification. |
| Download formats | SVG reference artwork; a 1024 × 1024 pixel PNG conversion on a white canvas. |
| Record date | · How to interpret our dates |
| Page updated |
Choosing a physical sign size
Download dimensions are not installation dimensions. Select sign size, material, placement, and lighting using the applicable standard and the actual viewing conditions. Chemical label sizing follows its own rules. Read the artwork and sizing guide.
Sources and artwork credits
- Artwork source
- Wikimedia Commons file page
- Creator credited by source
- Clemenspool
- License
- CC0
- Source metadata checked
SVG files are local reference copies. PNG files are raster conversions. Check the linked file history and license terms before reuse; a source-metadata check is not certification of the artwork or a workplace installation.
Report a correction to this reference
