Up to 4,000 beacons could be affected and Surrey-based Sartech will be processing the UK recall
Boatowners are urged to check their radio beacons, after a British engineering firm announced that they would be replacing up to 4,000 recalled GME Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs).
GME’s Australian parent company Standard Communications announced last year that they would be looking into a suspected fault.
The company has now recalled M400 (pictured above), MT401 and MT403 models manufactured between January 2005 and February 2008 with serial numbers between 50101000 and 80250722.
And it has been confirmed that Sartech will be processing the recalled units in the UK, with owners of affected buoys urged to contact the Surrey-based engineering firm.
The majority of the units affected are likely to have already been replaced, as EPIRBs have a battery life of around six years.
Nonetheless, Sartech is urging all boatowners to check if their beacons are covered by the recall to avoid the unit failing in an emergency.
Peter Forey, managing director of Sartech, said: “Although failure is highly unlikely, Standard Communications’ action is prudent in light of EPIRBs being such a critical safety device.”
Affected boatowners should call 01737 372670 or
e-mail info@sartech.com to arrange a free replacement beacon, although the new-for-old offer does not apply to EPIRBs which have not been maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
