Zodiac SOLAS, of Chevanceaux, France, has developed a new escape slide system that offers a very fast speed of evacuation for small to medium-sized ships and high speed craft.
The new Zodiac SOLAS MES MIS (Marine Evacuation System – Medium Inflatable Slide) is a double track slide that can enable the evacuation of 731 passengers in 30 minutes when used with Zodiac's throw-over 150-person canopy life rafts. When used with Zodiac's Open Reversible Inflatable 151-person open life rafts, 397 passengers are able to escape in under 18 minutes.
The first Zodiac MES MIS system has already been sold and successfully commissioned by a French shipyard and an order has also been received for systems to be fitted on a French naval vessel currently under construction.
Enquiries have been received from potential customers in Australia, Poland, Italy, Croatia, Norway, Germany and the United States.
The new evacuation system is available in four sizes covering freeboard installations from 4.7 to 9.3 metres.
It is designed for deployment at an angle of 35 degrees and will be suitable for a wide range of vessels including high speed craft governed by the HSC Code, small passenger vessels operating in national waters, military vessels and ro-ro ferries on short international voyages.
The new product extends the Zodiac range of small inflatable slides which were previously available for freeboards up to 3.8 metres. It also offers an alternative to the Zodiac DBC vertical chute Marine Evacuation System for medium range freeboard heights up to 9.3 metres and which are used with higher capacity rafts.
The Zodiac SOLAS MES MIS may be supplied for new buildings or for retro-fitting and can be provided with a choice Zodiac life rafts.
Manufactured in France, at the modern Zodiac factory at Chevanceaux near Bordeaux, the new escape system is EC(MED) approved by Bureau Veritas.