Viking wins international award
VIKING’s innovative passenger evacuation system wins first prize at the international Safety at Sea Awards 2007. The prestigious Safety at Sea Award is given for excellence in saving and protecting life at sea. Viking won the equipment category for demonstrating “an innovative and original development that has the potential either to reduce the risk of accidents, save or protect life at sea or improve on-board security”.
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The passenger fear factor – a serious risk in emergency situations
Crowd flow and control are essential in avoiding fear and panic that can slow down an evacuation from a passenger vessel in an emergency. Viking’s new evacuation liferaft system and SOLAS MiniSlide (VELS+SMS), was chosen for its innovative design that helps improve passenger evacuation flow, and patent pending features that reduce crew needed to operate the system so they can concentrate on helping passengers.
Standing at the top of an evacuation system can be a daunting prospect for anyone, especially in hard weather conditions. Hesitance to dive into the unknown is understandable, but slows evacuation. Passengers need to know where they are going and see what they are getting into.
Viking’s new MiniSlide system has a dual approach to reducing these stress factors. Evacuees can see the full length of the slide from the top and can see into the adjoining liferaft. The large patent pending brake cushion at the base gives a clearly visible, safe stopping point, reducing the “fear of the unknown” factor. With an exit on either side it helps prevent crowd build up at the bottom that can hinder others from descending. At the same time, extra high sides along the slide give an increased feeling of security, especially in heavy weather, and help keep evacuees safer.
Freeing crew members to aid in evacuee flow
On ferries the number of crew members required to operate equipment is an important consideration, as there may be limited personnel on board. Only one crew member is needed to operate the new Viking evacuation system. The patent pending single bowsing winch technology replaces the dual winch system, making the system faster and easier to position. One winch creates just the right pull in just the right places to ensure the liferaft is swiftly, safely and easily pulled into place ready to receive passengers.
In cold waters, such slow rescue by small vessels may not be an option as the risk of hypothermia and poor conditions may limit survivability. It can only be hoped that large organisations such as IMO (their sub-committee on ship design and equipment is expected to outline a draft proposal by 2008) and national authorities
will address the issue and begin to follow the example of the Russian authorities and their adoption of Viking’s evacuation slide as rescue equipment.
Technical details:
1st vessel
Company: Rosmorport
Vessel name: Moskva
Vessel type: Multi purpose vessel
(Winter: Ice Breaker – Summer: Rescue Vessel)
Flag: Russia
Homeport: St. Petersburg
Area of engagement: Gulf of Finland
Yard: Baltiyski Zavod, St. Petersburg
Built year: 2005-2007
Length: 116m
Breadth: 26.5m
Draft, design: 8.5m
Viking supply: 2 x VIKING VES-ED MOR
(Viking Evacuation Slide as Means of Rescue)
Each consisting of;
Single track slide with 1x50 pers. platform.
Hydraulic hoisting winch with special stretcher
4x16DK liferafts
Viking delivery: November 2006
2nd vessel
Company: Rosmorport
Vessel name: Sankt-Petersburg
Vessel type: Multi purpose vessel
(Winter: Ice Breaker – Summer: Rescue Vessel)
Flag: Russia
Homeport: St. Petersburg
Area of engagement: Gulf of Finland
Yard: Baltiyski Zavod, St. Petersburg
Built year: 2006-2008
Length: 116m
Breadth: 26.5m
Draft, design: 8.5m
Viking supply: 2 x VIKING VES-ED MOR
(Viking Evacuation Slide as Means of Rescue)
Each consisting of;
Single track slide with 1x50 pers. platform
Hydraulic hoisting winch with special stretcher
4x16DK liferafts
Viking delivery: September 2007
