Safety Products News

Danish maritime safety solutions company Viking Life-Saving Equipment has acquired rights to manufacture and supply Undertun marine evacuation systems (MES).The Viking acquisition has been agreed with Sverre Undertun, whose Norway-based company offers solutions which include its well-known Undertun ship gangways.The solution is suitable for the small ferry market due to its easy installation and use.Catering for up to 150 persons, Undertun MES are especially convenient when installation heights and crew numbers are low…

Finland-based marine equipment and technology firm Wärtsilä has sold Wärtsilä Tank Control Systems business to Svanehøj, a Danish gas pump specialist involved in the design and manufacture of specialized deep well pump solutions within the areas of gas pumps, fuel pumps, products and chemicals, and offshore products.Wärtsilä Tank Control Systems designs, builds, sells, and services measurement systems for gas tanks on LNG ships, offshore storage, and land-based LNG terminals.

Global safety products manufacturer and service provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has won a contract to build and supply a VIKING Norsafe Munin S1200 patrol boat for the Norwegian police force.The vessel, which will be built in Arendal, Norway and delivered in December this year, will carry out police patrol and rescue missions in the East Police District covering the 38 municipalities from Gardermoen to the Swedish border.Seeing off competition from five other providers,…

The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) has officially approved the VIKING LifeCraft Survival Craft as a Novel Life-Saving Appliance, meeting the requirements for replacing conventional lifeboats on passenger ships and advancing progress toward greater safety in large-scale ship evacuation emergencies.Following successful heavy weather trials in November last year, the Survival Craft component of VIKING Life-Saving Equipment’s unique hybrid lifeboat/liferaft solution, the VIKING LifeCraft System…

Roxtec reports that it has more than doubled its fire resistance testing capacity, opening in Sweden a new laboratory that creates conditions for continuous development of safety products.The fire lab is located at the Roxtec headquarters in Karlskrona, Sweden, and it will play a key role in the product development and pre-certification process for the sealing solutions. With the lab Roxtec engineers and technicians can prepare tests with exactness. Every test object must be tested as an entire system in a realistic environment.

Maritime safety equipment and servicing provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment is kicking off its presence at Sea Japan 2018 (April 11-13) with a boosted liferaft offering. On one hand is the company’s ability to supply VIKING S30 extended service interval SOLAS liferafts; on the other is a recent Japanese Government approval for VIKING to supply liferafts to Japanese flagged vessels and carry out final liferaft assembly in Japan. This is the first such approval awarded to a non-Japanese manufacturer…

It’s been a full year since the International Maritime Organization (IMO) launched the Polar Code to enhance the protection of seafarers and the environment in Arctic and Antarctic regions. As ship owners and operators now work to ensure compliance, Viking Life-Saving Equipment says it stands ready to throw them a lifeline. The global provider offers a complete range of safety solutions for passenger and cargo vessels operating under the Polar Code. “Like the Poles themselves, Polar safety is uncharted territory to many operators.

Communication and safety at sea specialist Ocean Signal has announced the appointment of Rich Galasso as its new US Sales Manager. Galasso will assist with the company’s sales growth strategy in the US as demand continues to increase for Ocean Signal’s communication and safety products for the recreational and commercial markets, including 406MHz beacons, AIS man overboard devices and flares. Bringing more than 20 years’ experience in the marine industry to the role, Galasso joins…

Vesper Marine, a leading manufacturer of innovative marine safety products, announced today the release of its revolutionary smartAIS technology. and more enjoyable. Unlike other manufacturers’ solutions that simply send and receive AIS data, Vesper Marine’s smartAIS goes much further. An active system with smart alarm logic, it proactively alerts boaters of potentially hazardous situations. Putting users in control, smartAIS combines navigation sensor data, and GPS and AIS information, with intelligent alarm management that prioritizes alerts for the most urgent response. While traditional AIS transponders require additional equipment to trigger alarms…

Survitec Group announced a transformational deal with the Marine Safety business of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services AS (WMS), in which WMS will transfer into Survitec all related safety products and services, including Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions, WSS Technical Services and WSS Safety Products. The combined business will operate under the Survitec Group name. “Upon completion of the merger, WMS will hold a 20 percent stake in Survitec, which will cement the long-term relationship between our two organizations and ensure Wilhelmsen’s continued and significant involvement in the future success of the combined group,” said Dag Schjerven, President and CEO of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, who will take a position on the Survitec Group Board of Directors.

Vesper Marine, a manufacturer of marine safety products, announced a free upgrade for its flagship AIS Class B transponder, the WatchMate Vision, streamlining usability, while adding new safety features and enhancements to the user experience. Preinstalled on all new units, the update is also available at no charge for existing owners. “When we first launched the WatchMate Vision, we raised the bar for boater safety,” said Jeff Robbins, CEO, Vesper Marine. “Today it is the premier AIS safety instrument on the planet.

The 2015 financial year saw VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S continue its unbroken, 12-year run of revenue and profit increases. Revenues were up nine percent at DKK 1.891 billion, while profits before tax also grew nine percent to reach DKK 200.5 million. The impressive results were achieved despite difficult market conditions, and CEO Henrik Uhd Christensen is predicting 2016 and 2017 to be even more challenging. “We performed well during 2015, and we’re aiming for continued growth in revenue and profits as our next strategic phase culminates in 2020,” he states. “That said, we’re operating in markets that have entered a decisive phase, particularly when it comes to the offshore and cargo segments. VIKING operates in three key market segments: Cargo, passenger and offshore.

Survitec Group, one of the world’s leading marine safety companies, is now working in partnership with Ocenco to replace thousands of M-20.2 Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs) that are reaching the end of their service life. When SOLAS amendment regulations II-2/13.3.4 and 13.4.3 came into force on 1 July 2002, all vessels had to be equipped with EEBDs. At the time, one of the most popular choices was the maintenance-free Ocenco M-20.2 EEBD. The 15-year service life on the first wave of products purchased to satisfy SOLAS is approaching, and many will expire in 2017. To help meet the high demand for replacement units, Survitec and Ocenco have agreed to work together.

Marine safety equipment manufacturer and servicing provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S is to establish a local presence in Korea through a joint venture agreement with leading Korean marine safety equipment and servicing company Daemyung Marine Co. Ltd. The new joint venture, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment Korea LLC, has VIKING as the majority shareholder. The venture aims to bring faster access for Korean-based and foreign-flag ship managers in the cargo, passenger and offshore segments to the full range of VIKING products and service concepts. It is also the logical next step for a highly successful partnership that has extended over more than 30 years.

Marine safety products manufacturer Vesper Marine has released a new Class B Automatic Identification System (AIS), the XB-6000. The black box transponder includes a built-in NMEA 2000 gateway and GPS antenna that integrates AIS, GPS and NMEA instrument data to display vital safety information on any AIS-compatible chartplotter, multifunction display (MFD) or personal computer. The Vesper Marine XB-6000 offers convenient access to AIS safety information instantaneously while on the water.

3Si Group, whose global portfolio of marine safety products and services covers commercial, leisure and military markets, has announced the formation of 3Si Offshore, a division that will specifically focus on the North Sea offshore sector. The group’s formation is a result of the recent merger between Ocean Safety Aberdeen and Richard Irvin Marine Safety which were both located in Aberdeen. The consolidation has created a new business in the offshore market and the new identity…

Two safety and survival systems developed for use in the UK’s offshore sector by the Survitec Group were recognised for their industry-leading importance when they won the Safety Innovations Award in the recent Offshore Achievement Award organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). The Safety Innovations Award recognises excellence in innovative technology and products that have been developed in the UK and which contribute to offshore safety. In particular, it looks at how they contribute to the overall objective of improving individual, plant or operational safety in the offshore energy sector (oil and gas and all forms of renewables).

H2O’s Owens CrapZapper marine sanitation device has dual certification to the latest IMO and USCG standards for operation anywhere in the world. Features include low maintenance, compact footprint, patented floating skimmer ensures optimum discharge water clarity, and corrosion proof operation in optional 316L Stainless Steel. H2O is a leading provider of potable water solutions, as well as comprehensive water safety products, services and rentals.

With Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas home-ported in Shanghai for 2015 and TUI Cruises launching its inaugural Asian season, eyes are on Asia’s expanding cruise market. However, while Asia may be unexplored territory for many cruise owners and ships service suppliers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is established and already servicing numerous local and international cruise customers across the entire Asia Pacific region. Boasting an industry-leading cruise-specific ships agency network…

ACR Electronics, Inc.expands their marine survival gear offerings by adding two new USCG approved distress flares, the Aurora Red Hand Flare and the Orange Hand Smoke signal. Built by the world leading manufacturer of commercial marine pyrotechnics, these non-SOLAS flares are the first specifically designed to perform like commercial marine flares, but at half the price. ACR has a longstanding history of manufacturing and providing high-quality emergency safety products. With the addition of Aurora pyrotechnics, ACR will be the only company to provide the U.S. consumer market end-to-end safety signaling solutions. The Aurora Red Hand Flare is USCG approved for day or night emergency signaling.

From 1 January 2015, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) will increase prices on all products and services by the OECD* global average inflation rate of 1.9%. “In order to consistently deliver quality products and dependable services throughout our global network it is necessary to cover at least a portion of the inflation costs we incur”, says VP Sales and Marketing, Thomas Smordalen. The 1.9% increase will affect list prices on all types of liferaft rental exchange (LRE) safety products and services, marine products and chemicals as well as agency services. Contracted customers will be OECD-inflation-adjusted in accordance with agreed Terms and Conditions.

Maritime safety products and systems can entail everything from a sophisticated integrated bridge system down to cleaning products for the galley. Here are a few recent introductions that appear particularly topical in the never-ending push for safer ships and crews. Under normal circumstances it would be hard to imagine a a mariner or rig worker who would want to be in the freefall lifeboat to the left, but in an emergency that blaze orange tube is likely the most beautiful ride at sea.

Bootle-based maritime firm International Safety Products (ISP) is set to become one of the world’s only major suppliers of a new rescue boat. The Liverpool City Region business - which is one of the largest manufacturers of inflatable marine lifejackets - supplies a range of maritime safety equipment. ISP commercial director Geoff Billington said the Duarry 420RB Rescue Boat is an important addition to the portfolio, and the firm will be targeting key markets with the product, especially the commercial marine sector - including offshore businesses.