Thursday, January 12, 2017

The price of safety...

What some people might be thinking, about that seafood you might be buying, and the word for today is “preemption”...

Safety, maybe it's just me, but it bothers me that so much so-called safety gear is expensive. Not that I want or expect companies to lose money or forego a fair profit on safety gear but it does say something about some peoples moral compass when they gouge simply because they can.

Which is not to say that, from time to time, I am pleasantly surprised when a new bit of safety gear comes out that is both something that will actually add to the safety of folks aboard and comes with a reasonable price tag as well. Like this new product from Exposure Lights who are no stranger to safety and man overboard gear...

A watch sized "tag" that you can wear like a watch or put on your PFD or harness. Which communicates with a phone or tablet based app to alert those onboard that someone is no longer within its range.






The app then directs you towards the overboard crew.






Simple, needful and the sort of tech that will save lives... Right?

So, what's the price?

According to my information the app is actually free if you buy the "tag" and the listed price for a tag is 24.95 pounds or just about $30. At that price it makes sense to get four tags for the boat. In fact it's a no-brainer and the result is a safer boat. Plus an attaboy to the company for coming out with a needful piece of gear and not pricing it at an inflated price just to make that extra profit. Check it out! 

For a quick comparison you might want to check out the AutoTether at $249.95 which is really just a loud noisemaker (or motor kill switch) which goes off when it's sensor goes further than 100 feet from the receiver. Is it really worth 10 times the cost?

On the other hand, we should count ourselves lucky that the purveyors of marine safety gear who do gouge are not nearly as ruthless as the Big Pharma companies who think raising the price of a $13.50 pill  (which made a profit at $13.50) to $750 a pill is just good business no matter what the effects are on the users.

Listening to some Jim Croce covers

So it goes...