Viking Introduces Ship Evacuation Slide

—Literature Available The efficiency of evacuating high density passenger vessels with high freeboard has been greatly increased by borrowing an idea from the airline industry.

Viking Life Saving Equipment has developed a marine escape slide (MES). Its operation is based on the same principles as those used in aviation escape slides, but with the addition of a number of marine-oriented features.

The Viking dual track MES, for example, consists of one inflatable dual track slide; one inflatable raft embarkation platform; plus a stowage box for the entire system that is fitted into a ship's side up to 60 feet above the water level. In addition, the system has eight inflatable 45-person life rafts.

The company claims that at a height of 45 feet above the water level, the dual track system has the capacity to evacuate 360 passengers within 30 minutes. Two of Denmark's largest ferries are equipped with six MESs.

Operation of an MES is initiated simply by pulling one handle to access the stowage box.

Disembarkation can begin after the slide and embarkation platform are inflated with 3-4 minutes.

Passengers come down the slide to the embarkation platform at the end of the slide. It can accommodate 95 passengers. This leaves ample time for crew members on the platform to launch the eight life rafts one by one that are part of each system. Passengers are quickly moved from the embarkation platform to the life rafts. The entire procedure is designed to keep passengers completely dry.

Viking also manufactures single track marine evacuation slides for smaller vessels. These are designed to handle 225 passengers within 30 minutes and have stowing heights of 20 feet above water level.

For free literature completely detailing the features of the Viking marine escape slide, Circle 106 on Reader Service Card

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