Reducing ship evacuation time: the case of a rail platform for integrating novel lifeboats on ship architectural structures

Ship evacuation is a complicated process, when it comes to fire or flooding scenarios, which is facilitated by an increased availability of onboard systems. The present paper proposes a solution which aims at improving the availability and the accessibility of novel lifeboats in case of an unforeseen event on large passenger vessels. A detailed analysis of the required components and their technical specifications is performed, along with performance requirements, maintenance plan, operational profile, and preliminary cost estimation. The paper concludes with the solution’s assessment by calculating the required evacuation time of a sample cruise vessel through simulations.