In the early 20^th century the manufacture of lifebelts in Great Britain was strictly controlled by a section of the Government known as the Board of Trade. The Board of Trade decided on and set the strict rules that all lifebelts being manufactured must abide by and adhere to. Some of these rules and regulations can be seen set out below, found in the 1908 Board of Trade circular No.14:

All lifebelts within the exception mentioned in paragraph (2) which are inspected for the first time after the first December 1908 must comply at least with the following requirements in a matter of length, covers, tapes, sewing, cork and marking.

Length–The belts where fully stretched out are to be at least 50 inches long from the outside of the cork to outside of cork: but when laid flat with the corks pushed close together, their length is not to exceed (…)inches.*

Covers–The covers are to be of all linen Tecklenburg with no mixture of another material, weighing no less than 6 oz. to the yard with a width of 27 inches; it must have at least 28 threads to the inch in the warp and in the weft, and is to be unglazed and unmangled and free from all dressing. It may be bleached or unbleached but no artificial coloured material is to be used.

Tapes–The tapes are to be of linen thread web 1¼ inches wide and capable of bearing a strain of 200 lbs. The ends of the tapes where they are attached to the covers are to be doubled and the ends are to be displayed. The free length of each tying is to be 38 inches. The shoulder connection to consist of a loop of a free length of 3 inches on one side, and a strap 30 inches long on the other.

Sewing–The tops of the [lay]ers are to be sewn with material which is to be double and of not less strength than No. 25 a five-cord Whitte[more] cord. All other sewing is to be made with linen thread not less than No. 50.

Cork–There shall be not [more] than 10 pockets in a belt; and if more than one piece of cork is used in any pocket the following rules shall be comp[lied] with, viz:- 

(a)         if the cork is put in lengthwise not more than two pieces may be used in each pocket and each piece must be the full length of the pocket and not less than half the width.

(b)         if the cork is put in b[read]thwise not more than three pieces may be used in each pocket and each piece must be of the full breadth of the pocket and not less than one fourth of the length;

(c)         if two or more pieces of cork are pegged or glued together, each piece used in making up the block is to count as a separate piece.

Marking– Each belt is to be marked “Warranted to pass Board of Trade survey.”

(2) Nothing in the foregoing is to prevent a higher standard being followed [in] any of the particulars mentioned; and the specification does not apply in the case of belts of special construction [for] which a certificate of approval (Surveys 115) has been granted by the Board of Trade.
(3) Belts originally passed before the 1^st April 1908 need not be rejected because they do not comply in all respects with the above specification, provided that the buoyancy is satisfactory and the belts are strong and fit for the purpose for which they are intended.
(4) Any belt which has not the required buoyancy or which in the Surveyors opinion is not fit for the purpose for which it is intended should be rejected.
(5) This circular [em]bodies circulars 1429 and 1440 which are now cancelled.

In 1912 the Titanic was equipped with 3560 of the newly designed Fosbery Overhead lifebelts manufactured by the London firm Fosbery & Co. Some surviving examples of these lifebelts exhibit a distinctive diamond shaped approval stamp from the Board of Trade which reads, “WARRANTED TO PASS BOARD OF TRADE SURVEY”. This indicates that this new design of lifebelt adhered to the requirements at the time from the Board of Trade.