CalMac becomes first UK operator to fit Survitec Autolaunch escape slides

Scottish ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) has become the first in the UK to fit the latest automatic escape slides from SurvitecZodiac.

Already used by fast-ferry operators in Scandinavia, the new Survitec Autolaunch slides can be activated by pressing a button on the bridge, or a button beside the slide, rather than needing to be launched and inflated by crew members. This increases passenger evacuation speeds and also leaves the crew free to deal with other emergency procedures.

Survitec’s Autolaunch slide system has already been fitted onboard CalMac’s 450-passenger Bute, and an identical system will soon be installed on her sister ship Argyle.

Each ship will feature a 2.2m-high slide and a venturi-assisted inflation system for a 151-person capacity open reversible liferaft on either side. A second liferaft with the same passenger capacity will also be carried on each side of the ship. This can be launched independently of the slide if required. The slides will be housed in a flush-fitting aluminium container integrated within the structure of the ships to offer greater protection against extreme weather conditions and accidental damage.

A third vessel, Courisk, will be fitted with a similar arrangement at a later date.