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Introduction
The lack of a common approach to the safety signage on board ships and marine installations has been recognised by the industry in recent years. This in consideration of the increasing number of passengers, visitors and associated crew members with a low knowledge about ships, travelling and of the need to standardise visual information to be given under emergency conditions.
A need has been recognised, on an international basis, to provide the people who may be present on a ship or marine installation with the safety indications that are as close as possible to the ones that they may find in landbased facilities. Furthermore, that all safety signs shall use the International Standards for their design and use.
This Code of Practice has been prepared to improve public and crew safety on board ship and marine installations by providing guidance on the application and siting of escape route signs together with advice on the use of arrows to provide directional information. Furthermore, this code provides guidance on the marking of various ship and marine installation locations to assist in orientation and to assist in the description of the planned egress process to passengers and crew. The detailed signing of the location and instructions for use of fire fighting equipment, life saving equipment and survival equipment shall form part of the signing of the means of escape.
The Code applies to all ships and marine installations and in particular passenger vessels as covered by the IMO regulations which has indicated a need for escape route signs to form an integral part of normal procedures. This need will always exist where the escape routes are complex or may be unfamiliar to any of the occupants.
The signing of escape routes may form part of the management of means of escape. Many other considerations have to be taken into account, including the requirements of people with special needs, in order to establish a safe evacuation procedure.
This part of ISO/WDXXXX does not stipulate if and when escape route signs will be required. However it has been assumed in the drafting of this Code that its execution will be entrusted to a competent person for whose guidance this document has been prepared. This Code is intended to be used by enforcing authorities to judge compliance with appropriate IMO regulations and resolutions.
This Code reflects best practice; the illustrations show a system designed to provide the optimum amount of information to clearly identify the location and direction of the means of escape from any location within a vessel via muster stations to embarkation stations and to lifeboats or liferafts.
A standardised method of signing with the use of appropriate supplementary text throughout the ship will assist the process of education and instruction on the meaning of safety signs and the appropriate actions to be taken in conjunction of the safety signs.
The supplementary text component of the signs shown in the illustrations demonstrates how escape route signing can have a role to play in the management of a ship.The use of supplementary text helps occupants to differentiate normal egress routes from those intended for emergency use only.
The illustrations within this Code of Practice are based on the assumption that some of the occupants may be unfamiliar with the ship and should be interpreted as recommendations, not as minimum requirements.
This Code of Practice recommends only the use of internationally agreed graphical symbols which may differ from those illustrated in the European Council directive 92/58/EEC but fully meets the requirements of the Directive. Compliance with ISO Standards for graphical symbols and safety signs is considered as best practice.
This International Standard is intended to provide for the consistent use of means of escape safety signs on board ships. Guidelines are provided for the directional signing of planned escape routes leading passengers and crew to designated assembly stations, via exits to embarkation and lifeboat (survival craft) stations. Guidelines are provided for the siting and use of fire fighting equipment safety signs, life saving appliance safety signs and any instructions or notices for the correct and orderly use of survival provisions.
Provisions are made to offer secondary escape routes from all areas on-board ship to designate an alternative route. This standard gives guidance on illumination requirements but does not deal with emergency lighting or electrical supply requirements for shipboard means of escape signs. It gives advice on the use of the appropriate graphical symbol, the use of supplementary text to assist in the interpretation of signs and the use of arrows to provide additional directional information.
Complimentary information is provided for in order to provide good orientation and position information concerning deck identification and assembly and crew muster stations.
The Code is intended to cover the use of all escape route signing systems within ships and marine installations. Recommendations are given for the selection of the appropriate type of sign, the location of signs, mounting positions, lighting and maintenance.
It is assumed that escape route signs will be provided to satisfy requirements by enforcing authorities or as identified by a formal escape plan and risk assessment. It is recommended that all signing systems should comply within this Code so as to minimise the risk of confusion for the public. The recommendations within this Code cover high-mounted and low mounted signs. Low Location Lighting systems are not covered but should comply with the ISO 15370:2001 - Ships and marine technology - Low location lighting on passenger ships - Arrangement for electrically-powered systems or for non-electrical systems.
to provide assistance to designers when working out escape signs general arrangement plans;
to provide that both primary and secondary means of escape, as well as normal and emergency exit doors and routes, are clearly and consistently indicated throughout the ship;
to harmonise and co-ordinate the use of "exit" and "emergency exit" signs taking into account the normal and the emergency conditions of the ship (e.g. the use by passengers and crew of stairways and alleyways in normal and in emergency conditions);
to ensure that primary means of escape to assembly stations, to the embarkation deck and to lifeboats and liferafts embarkation areas, as well as their location, are clearly and univocally indicated;
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this International Standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
IMO MSC/Circ. 699 − Revised guidelines for passengers safe instructions
IMO Resolution A.760(18) − Symbols related to life-saving appliances and arrangements
ISO/TR 14564: 1995 − Shipbuilding and marine structures − Marking of escape routes
ISO 15370:2001 − Ships and marine technology − Low location lighting on passenger ships - Arrangement
ISO 17631:2001 − Ships and marine technology − Shipboard plans for fire protection, life-saving appliances and means of escape − Arrangement
ISO 3864-1:2001 − Safety colours and safety signs − Part 1: Safety signs in workplaces and public areas - Design principles
ISO 3864-2:2001 − Safety colours and safety signs − Overview of standardized safety signs
ISO 7001:1990/amd.1:1993 − Public information symbols
ISO 16069:xxxx − xxxx
ISO 4196:xxxx − xxxx]
ISO 9186:2000 − Procedures for the development and testing of graphical symbols
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS 1974), as amended in 1996.
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1 assembly station (muster station)
designated space situated internally of externally on board ships and vessels where persons are gathered in the event of an emergency and where qualified staff are available to support the orderly egress and to provide life saving equipment.
3.2 booklet
shipboard manual which indicates the meaning and the position of the used safety signs, for use in training and maintenance
3.3 competent authority
an Administration whose flag the ship is entitled to fly, or an organization authorized by an Administration, to perform functions required by this standard
3.4 embarkation station
designated area from which the life-saving appliances ( survival craft ) are entered.
3.5 escape route
a route forming part of the means of escape from any place on board a ship or vessel to a designated assembly station or embarkation station.
3.6 escape route sign
a sign directing people along escape routes.
3.7 exit
a doorway or other suitable opening leading to a place of relative safety.
3.8 Gaseous Tritium Light Device
an instrument, piece of equipment, article or sub-assembly containing one or more gaseous tritium light sources.
3.9 graphical symbol
visually perceptible figure with a particular meaning used to transmit information independently of language
3.10 internally illuminated sign
a sign made of transparent or translucent materials which are illuminated from the inside or the rear so as to give the appearance of a luminous surface.
3.11 lifeboat station
designated area immediately in the proximity of a lifeboat or lifecraft or survival craft for launching and embarkation.
3.12 means of escape
structural means whereby safe evacuation routes are provided for persons to travel from any place within a ship or marine installation to a place of relative safety.
3.13 mimic sign
signs which indicates the "you are here" position and the primary and secondary escape routes to the assembly stations (for passenger and visitor areas) and to the muster station (for crew areas).
3.14 photoluminescent shipboard safety sign
a non-electrical sign incorporating phosphors that, if excited by UV or visible radiation, store energy, which is emitted as light over a period of time and which conforms to the light decay characteristics of low location lighting given in ISO 15370:2000 and classified for photometric properties according to ISO/DIS 17398 Durability of Safety Signs.
3.15 place of relative safety
a predetermined place in which persons are in no immediate danger from the effects of a fire.
3.16 primary escape route
the preferred means of escape complying with SOLAS regulation II-2/13.3.2.4.1
3.17 secondary escape route
and alternative means of escape to be used when the primary escape route is not available
3.18 shipboard safety sign
general safety message obtained by a combination of colour(s) and geometric
shape and which, by the addition of a graphical symbol, gives a particular safety message designed according
to the principles given in ISO/WD XX Part 1.
3.19 ship management or captain
the persons or person in overall control of the ship or installation while people are present, exercising this responsibility either in their own right or by delegation.
3.20 travel distance
the actual distance that a person needs to travel within a ship to the nearest assembly station allowing for the layout of walls, partitions and fittings.
3.21 Zone/compartment
an area in the ship or marine installation that is identifiable by a letter of the english alphabet that has a planned evacuation procedure for the occupiers of that area to a designated assembly station or stations within that area.
3.22 Primary escape route: the main route to the assembly stations and to the lifeboats and liferafts embarkation deck indicated on the approved "escape plan";
3.2.3 Secondary escape route: any other alternative escape route to the assembly stations and to the lifeboats and liferafts embarkation deck respect the primary escape route;
3.23 Escape plan: the approved plan to be done in order to design all primary and secondary escape routes to assembly stations and to lifeboats and liferafts embarkation deck from all passenger and crew spaces (re. SOLAS, ch.II-2 reg.28 and IMO res. A.757(18)).
3.24 Escape signs: the signs to be used on board passenger vessels to direct passengers and crew to the assembly stations and to the lifeboats and liferafts embarkation deck: e.g. "Escape", "Exit", "Emergency Exit", "Assembly Station" (or "Muster Station"), and "Lifeboat Station" and "Liferaft Station" - with relevant wording and/or IMO symbol - are escape signs. In general, escape signs should comply with the IMO requirements and recommendations described into IMO resolution A.760(18) and should be consistently located throughout the ship as recommended by IMO MSC. Circ. 699. Care should be taken to place the signs in prominent and continuously illuminated positions and clear as much as possible of other signs.
3.25 Escape symbol: the international symbol with a running man and a door or arrow, as applicable.
3.26 Luminous sign: luminous body with escape sign having its own source of light (e.g. bulb, fluorescent tube, neon tube, etc.); the sign should be fed by both normal and emergency electrical network (i.e. the one provided by the emergency source of power of the ship).
3.27 Illuminated sign: photo-luminescent sign marked by luminous bodies fed by both the normal and the emergency electrical network (the one provided by the emergency source of power of the ship); it is not necessary that each sign has its own dedicated lamp, but the arrangement of the onboard luminous bodies should be such as to clearly indicate the location of the signs and their content when only the emergency light is on.
3.28 Photo-luminescent sign: the sign made by material meeting the luminance requirements described by IMO resolution 752(18) and ISO.DIS 15370.00, as appropriate.
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