Enlightenment about photoluminescence
Published: 01 April, 2006
Bjorn Geeves is the CEO of Verfification Institute Ltd. previously IMI-International Measuring Institute, a certified statutory service supplier specialised in on-site inspection and measurements of Low Location Lighting (LLL) systems onboard ship. Before the IS0 15370 for LLL systems went into action, ship operators had to comply with the IMO Res. A.752(18), which is part of the SOLAS regulations.
“This regulation was made very quickly after the Scandinavian Star disaster in the eighties. This document indicated that you should install LLL in all passenger and crew areas onboard ships that carry more than 36 people. There wasn’t much detail in the regulations, regarding testing of products or even the width of the strips. There was much misunderstanding and discussion between ship owners, yards and classification companies,” explains Bjorn.
At that time the only regulation that covered laboratory testing of photoluminescent material was the DIN 67510 which formed the basis for the requirements in both IMO Res. A.752(18) and ISO 15370:2001.
According to Bjorn, before the year 2000, the quality of photoluminescent material installed in ships was of very low quality and on site measurements had not been performed onboard since 1995. The requirements called for the photoluminescent products to reach 15 mcd/m2 after 10 minutes and 2 mcd/m2 after 60 minutes based on a 75 mm wide strip. Reduced widths of photoluminescent strips call for more light to be emitted in accordance with a table in ISO 15370:2001. Type approval certificates were issued by Classification Societies based on measurements in accordance with the DIN 67510. The problem was that in accordance with this standard the photoluminescent material was exposed to 1000 lux from a Xenon light source.
This sort of light is never found on a ship. “However when the products were installed onboard they were lit by light as low as 10 to 15 LUX,” he continues. Unfortunately, from 1994 to 1998 when the International Measuring Institute was formed, there were no companies approved to perform the onsite inspection. This, combined with the inferior quality of products supplied during this period, resulted in a high percentage of system failures in the period after 2000.”
To Bjorn’s knowledge this situation has not cost any lives but it is important to learn from the mistakes and make sure that regulations are not implemented until they can be properly enforced.
Since 2001 the situation has improved and since 2004 it seems as if a enforcement regime is in place. “Oil installations are rather tricky,” as Bjorn says they seem to lead a separate life. “As long as it is a floating rig carrying more than 36 passengers it should comply with maritime regulations and comply with IMO A.752(18) supplemented with ISO 15370:2001. Merchant navy ships do not have to comply with regulations, it is all down to the operators.”
Why does photoluminescence have such a bad reputation?
Bjorn says it is all down to the industry still manufacturing poor quality products and price pressure from yards and ship owners. “When the ISO 15370 and IMO A. 752(18) were made, the legislators only concentrated on the low level, all though the high levels signs form an integral part of the evacuation system. For instance, the signs that indicate lifejackets and extinguishing points are just as important. In my opinion, these signs are usually of the poorest quality. We have found that 95 percent of the signs we have inspected onboard on more than 100 ship, will never pass any inspection at all,” he comments.
A committee was started up to improve this situation, but for some obscure reason it just dissolved. For many years now, he has been wondering why the situation exists, but clear answers seem to be far off. Bjorn continues: “If you are interested in safety there are two issues to keep in mind. First of all, the product must function, you must be able to see it in darkness or smoke. In order to see it, it must emit a certain level of light which should be at least that of the low level signs and LLL. This should be clear for all photoluminescent signs.” The other issue he raises is the worry about toxic gases and smoke. These factors kill most people in shipping accidents and killed most people onboard the Scandinavian Star. “Why do they allow PVC signs onboard, when PVC is banned on bulkheads in cables etc?” he asks.
PVC releases extremely toxic and lethal gasses when it burns, such as: Sulphuric acid, which destroys all computers and all electronics on board, phosgene, which was used in the WOI and hydrogen chloride. How is that possible?” Bjorn suspects this material is still being used because of commercial pressure within the industry, all though photoluminescent systems in are relatively cheap compared to electric systems, more reliable and extremely low in maintenance. Still the price pressure on signs and LLL is tremendous and, according to Bjorn, there is a tendency to try to avoid inspection if pressure is not applied from Classification societies and/or port authorities. “More than 10 years after the regulations came in to force, we still see a reluctance for many ships to be inspected. There are still many that have never been inspected at all.
"A way-finding system should be able to direct people without assistance to the nearest exit. At the moment there are very high quality photoluminescencent products available, which can even cater for light down to 9 LUX with a negligible charging time. In my opinion they are the most reliable and most low maintenance systems on the market today and I see them as the best aid to help people evacuate.”
A wayfinding system for the Bonga
The 300,000 tonne Bonga is one of the largest floating production, storage and offloading facilities (FSPO) ever built.
“The Bonga facility is moored off Nigeria and operated by Shell on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and is capable of producing 225,000 barrels of oil a day and storing up to two million. In addition, it has a gas export facility of a 150 million standard cubic feet per day,” Jim Creak, Director of Jalite tells IFJ.
The FPSO was constructed in South Korea and then towed 13,000 miles to Tyneside in the UK.
Engineering and Services Company AMEC designed and built the production facilities, which included a risk assessment. Escape Safe Ltd, a UK-based marine safety consultant was appointed in co-operation with Jalite PLC to provide the planning, survey, detailed specification supply and installation of the photoluminescent safety sign systems for the Bonga.
The timeframe was tight - delays would have caused huge financial penalties for Escape Safe.
“I have worked on five previous FPSOs, but the Bonga was by far the largest,” says Jim Capstick of Escape Safe.
“However extraordinary the working environment, the same basic principles apply. You assess the risk and look at the appropriate technologies to reduce that risk,” After scrutinising the specification, Jim surveyed the vessel to determine exactly what was required, where and how.
Jalite PLC received the contract to supply the photoluminescent way-finding system onboard.
Under regulations II-2/28 and II-2/41-2 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, the means of escape, including stairways and exits, must be marked by a low location lighting system at all points along the escape route. Additionally, Regulation II-2/20.2 requires all ships to be provided with fire control plans and these should be permanently stowed in a prominently marked weather tight enclosure and use symbols in accordance with Regulation A.654.
The way-finding system had to be completely waterproof, corrosion-proof and airtight in case of an emergency where the signs could be drenched with firefighting agents.
Jalite manufactured a specially-designed stainless steel enclosure with polycarbonate screen and rubber seals to meet the rigorous demands of the shipboard environment.
“We further weather-proofed the external panels with addition of a protective lacquer coating containing a UV filter, which would provide adequate protection from the elements, whilst allowing sufficient UV light through to energise the photoluminescent material,” he says.
In addition to that the company installed safety signs to cover the specific requirements of the FPSO operation, including shutdown signs.
Jim continues: “In all, nearly 100 fire control panels were installed on the Bonga, along with 3,000 safety escape routes identification and life-saving appliance identification signs. Jalite’s work on the Bonga generated much interest in the industry, not in the least because the work was all up to the ISO standard 15370, which has had some important amendments made to it in the last year.”
According to Jim, people in the industry are not aware enough of this standard when they are specifying their materials. “In January last year, the European Marine Directive adopted this standard and it is not readily known and understood. The previous standard required illumination of a 1000 LUX. This was an exceptionally high level that was never found in practice.
“This meant that the ship owner was expected to have a light source over the material with sufficient intensity to excite it. That means that people would need sunglasses.” The amendment ISO 15370, teach manufacturers that their products must be excited at low light levels of 25 LUX.
Jim explains that this has huge consequences for safety. Products that are installed now will be much more effective. The chances of failure in these systems are much less probable as long as the certification of a 100 LUX is there.
“The secret of real safety is to make sure people are certified according to the marine directives. Before this standard was adopted manufacturers could hide behind the 1000 LUX rule, where it was up to the ship owner to supply the light source. Because it wasn’t specified, many suppliers would take advantage, but now there is no excuse,” he continues.
Jim agrees with Bjorn Geeves that there hasn’t been much publicity for the ISO 15370 until now. He bases his opinion on the fact that he still hardly ever sees the requirements for this standard on specifications.
“Every credible supplier should be able to know the details of the ISO 15370 which are about the performance of the photo luminescent material,” he concludes.
Arve Heggem is the owner of the Norwegian company Metal Safe Sign Int. Ltd, a manufacturer of photoluminescent materials. His products are made of aluminium or glass.
“The acceptance of photoluminescent products is definitely growing. In the past the products in our market were of poor quality, now we can supply a much higher standard,” Arve explains. He sees photoluminescence as the best evacuation solution, because of its reliability. “Electrical systems can fail in smoke and fire, but photoluminescent products will always glow. They are the best way of ensuring there is always a wayfinding system available. We are in discussions with the Norwegian subway operators at the moment. They wanted to acquire an electrically-powered emergency escape signage system. I asked them to consider what would happen if the train stopped in the tunnel because of an electrical failure? The costs of an electrically-powered system are phenomenal in my opinion.”
He hopes that the industry will recognise the dangers of PVC signs. “People should be more aware of the products they are buying, because lives might be dependent on them.”
