VIKING's Set to Unveil New Safety Solutions

VIKING has chosen Seatrade Cruise Global in Fort Lauderdale to showcase a host of new safety solutions and servicing concepts.
 
Marine and offshore safety equipment provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment (VIKING) has a trio of new products in store for ship owners and operators attending Seatrade Cruise Global. The flagship among these is the VIKING LifeCraft hybrid evacuation and survival craft system. Currently undergoing a full-scale test program, the official launch of this new system is just around the corner.
 
During the exhibition, VIKING specialists will be available to explain how the LifeCraft combines advantages of modern lifeboats, such as self-propelled maneuverability, with the flexibility, comfort and smaller footprint of liferafts. In addition, they will offer a glimpse of the LifeCraft storage and launch unit.

VIKING will also unveil its new VEC Plus  evacuation solution, representing a complete design upgrade of existing high-capacity marine evacuation systems (MES) to boost long-term durability and simplify maintenance. Niels Fraende, Director of VIKING’s Passenger Division explained how this has been achieved: “With more than 1,300 MES systems in operation, we’ve gained unparalleled experience when it comes to their operational and servicing lifecycle. Recently, we re-examined every aspect of today’s evacuation solutions, cutting down the number of components and introducing new access and servicing methods,” he said. “For example, now you can simply swap part-elements, rather than uninstall the entire system for servicing; and this saves on logistics, time and costs.”
 
In addition to developments in marine evacuation systems, the brand new VIKING PV9522 SOLAS Lifejacket caters specifically to the needs of the cruise and ferry industry. Available for adults, children and infants, the lifejacket is designed to maximize safety and performance. It features a minimalist, crescent-shaped design ensuring a perfect ergonomic fit, swift repacking and compact stowage when not in use. Other key features include truly intuitive donning and excellent freedom of movement to allow for easy boarding, turning and swimming in an emergency.
 
“The PV9522 comes with a host of ingenious features. For example, the traditional crotch strap is redundant by design, significantly reducing the time and crew resources needed for repacking lifejackets after muster drills. Also, with single buckle operation and just one extended instant-adjustment strap, the lifejacket is extremely easy to put on and will fit passengers of any size,” said Soren Hansen, VIKING’s Global Product Manager for Personal Protective Equipment. The new lifejacket is compatibility tested with standard liferafts and lifeboats and is a good match for evacuation systems such as the VIKING LifeCraft and VEC Plus.