y Viking Life-Saving Equipment is launching a 153-person liferaft and mini slide system
Marine safety equipment company Viking Life-Saving Equipment is launching a 153-person liferaft and mini slide system, packed in a single aluminum stowage box and launched by a single push-button actuator.
Named the VAS (Viking automatic slide), the system is designed and certified for vessels on domestic voyages such as ferries sailing in protected waters. The VAS is designed for evacuation heights of 1.5m to 3.65m, with inflation started automatically by pushing a button on the stowage box or on the bridge. Automatic bowsing keeps the slide and raft close alongside the ship to assist ease of disembarking, and the system requires no external power supply for deployment
The VAS is contained in a box that is placed flush with the ship side, and bolted to the deck, so can be easily installed or retrofitted. The system is then ready to go, with no bowsing lines or welded connection points on the side of the ship’s side being necessary.
The system gained approval on sea trial with significant wave height of 1.5m with DNV as notified body. The liferaft is EC type-approved (EC Directive 96/98/EC with DNV as the notified body) for use in restricted areas, defined by the national administration. The system, the associated slide, the liferaft and all equipment comply with ISO 9001 quality requirements.
The first two VAS systems have already been sold to Färjerederiet in Sweden, and delivered during September 2011.
“In difficult circumstances, and particularly when things need to happen as fast as possible, the ability to have just one crew member operate the entire evacuation system for such a large number of passengers is a major advantage,” says Niels Fraende, sales and marketing director at the company’s headquarters. “That’s really quite amazing when you think how many crew it typically takes to deploy more conventional safety equipment”.
Source: The Motorship
