SafePASS · Next generation of life Saving appliances and systems for saFE and swift evacuation operations on high capacity PASSenger ships in extreme scenarios and conditions

Evacuating a large passenger ship is a safety-critical and strictly time-bound task and a complex decision-making process based on the evolving situation and the information available. Timely evacuation requires fast and accurate evaluation of ship’s condition and estimation of remaining evacuation time. The assumption that all passengers will be able to comprehend and follow instructions or even that the crew will be able to communicate verbally during a crisis is very optimistic. In response, a system that will provide clear instructions and guide passengers safely on how to react in an emergency situation without reliance on any passenger skills or experience is of paramount importance for any large passenger ship.SafePASS will radically redefine the evacuation processes, evacuation systems/equipment and international regulations for passenger ships in all environments, hazards and weather conditions, independently of the demographic factor, by developing an integrated system that will collectively monitor, process and inform during emergencies both crew and passengers of the optimal evacuation routes, coupled with advanced, intuitive and easy to use LSA, resulting to a significant reduction of the total time required for ship evacuation and increased safety. SafePASS is an integrated solution that provides passengers tailored evacuation assistance, assists the crew by enhancing their situational awareness and ability to handle de-skilled equipment, while incorporating fail-safe processes for the evacuation procedure. SafePASS prototypes will be validated in real environment, on a cruise ship and in LSA manufacturers testbeds and towing tanks. The consortium, consisting of 15 partners, amongst which academic institutions, classification societies, innovative SMEs, shipyard, LSA manufacturers and a cruise operator, safeguards both the high impact and implementation of the project results, through the preparation of a set of recommendations for IMO submission.