Safety Equipment: Viking Heavy Weather Tests High-Capacity Passenger Evacuation System for Cruise Ships
c.Viking
Danish life-saving equipment manufacturer Viking Life-Saving has successfully test its new high-capacity passenger evacuation system, bringing it one step closer to market for large cruise ship operators worldwide.
Viking calls the system the most exciting innovation in passenger evacuation systems in decades.
Known as LifeCraft™, the system combines the advantages of lifeboats and liferafts, and is comprised of four self-propelled inflatable VIKING LifeCrafts with a capacity of 200 persons each, so 800 in total. Each features a fully self-contained stowage and launching appliance placed on deck or built into the ship’s side, and an EscapeWay™ chute system for the safe evacuation of passengers. The four crafts are powered by electric motors, instead of diesel-driven units.
Viking announced this week that the LifeCraft™ system recently underwent successful Heavy Weather Sea Trial (HWST), during which wave heights were up to 50% above the stipulated heavy weather testing requirements, with brutal wind gusts and significant wave heights between 3.6 and 4.6 meters.
“Towering peak waves of 10 meters greatly exceeded the required 3 meters needed for the trials, with the personnel from VIKING and DNV GL battling sea-sickness and heaving decks to conclude the tests,” according to Viking.
The company said the successful trial marks an important milestone in the products path to commercial use.
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