4.7 Exits and means of escape
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Codes - HSC 2000 Code - International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 2000 – Resolution MSC.97(73) - Chapter 4 - Accommodation and escape measures - 4.7 Exits and means of escape

4.7 Exits and means of escape

  4.7.1 In order to ensure immediate assistance from the crew in an emergency situation, the crew accommodation, including any cabins, shall be located with due regard to easy, safe and quick access to the public spaces from inside the craft. For the same reason, easy, safe and quick access from the operating compartment to the public spaces shall be provided.

  4.7.2 The design of the craft shall be such that all occupants may safely evacuate the craft into survival craft under all emergency conditions, by day or by night. The positions of all exits which may be used in an emergency, and of all life-saving appliances, the practicability of the evacuation procedure, and the evacuation time to evacuate all passengers and crew shall be demonstrated.

  4.7.3 Public spaces, evacuation routes, exits, lifejacket stowage, survival craft stowage, and the embarkation stations shall be clearly and permanently marked and illuminated as required in chapter 12.

  4.7.4 Each enclosed public space and similar permanently enclosed space allocated to passengers or crew shall be provided with at least two exits as widely separated as practical. All exits shall clearly indicate the directions to the evacuation station and safe areas. On category A craft and cargo craft, at least one exit shall give access to the evacuation station serving the persons in the enclosed space considered, and all other exits shall give access to a position on the open deck from which access to an evacuation station is provided. On category B craft, exits shall provide access to the alternative safe area required by 7.11.1; external routes may be accepted providing that the requirements of 4.7.3 and 4.7.11 are complied with.

  4.7.5 Subdivision of public spaces to provide refuge in case of fire may be required in compliance with 7.4.4.1 and 7.11.1.

  4.7.6 Exit doors shall be capable of being readily operated from inside and outside the craft in daylight and in darkness. The means of operation shall be obvious, rapid and of adequate strength. Doors along escape routes should, wherever appropriate, open in the direction of escape flow from the space served.

  4.7.7 The closing, latching and locking arrangements for exits shall be such that it is readily apparent to the appropriate crew member when the doors are closed and in a safe operational condition, either in direct view or by an indicator. The design of external doors shall be such as to minimize the possibility of jamming by ice or debris.

  4.7.8 The craft shall have a sufficient number of exits which are suitable to facilitate the quick and unimpeded escape of persons wearing approved lifejackets in emergency conditions, such as collision damage or fire.

  4.7.9 Sufficient space for a crew member shall be provided adjacent to exits for ensuring the rapid evacuation of passengers.

  4.7.10 All exits, together with their means of opening, shall be adequately marked for the guidance of passengers. Clear markings, including the location of the fire control plan, shall be provided for the guidance of rescue personnel outside the craft.

  4.7.11 Footholds, ladders, etc., provided to give access from the inside to exits shall be of rigid construction and permanently fixed in position. Permanent handholds shall be provided whenever necessary to assist persons using exits, and shall be suitable for conditions when the craft has developed any possible angles of list or trim.

  4.7.12 At least two unobstructed evacuation paths shall be available for the use of each person. Evacuation paths shall be disposed such that adequate evacuation facilities will be available in the event of any likely damage or emergency conditions, and evacuation paths shall have adequate lighting supplied from the main and emergency sources of power. Doors providing escape from a space shall, where possible, be situated at opposite ends of the space. Where the doors providing escape from a space are situated in the same end of the space, the distance between those doors shall be greater than the maximum length of the space.

  4.7.13 The width of corridors, doorways and stairways which form part of the evacuation paths shall be not less than 900 mm for passenger craft and 700 mm for cargo craft. This width may be reduced to 600 mm for corridors, doorways and stairways serving spaces where persons are not normally employed. There shall be no protrusions in evacuation paths which could cause injury, ensnare clothing, damage lifejackets or restrict evacuation of disabled persons. Requirements of this paragraph do not apply to aisles (fore-aft passageways separating seating areas) or to spaces between adjacent rows of seats. However, the width of aisles and the seat pitch shall be such as to allow the craft to comply with the provisions of 4.8.

  4.7.14 Special category spaces used for stowage of motor vehicles shall be provided with walkways having a width of at least 600 mm leading to a safe means of escape.

  4.7.15 Adequate notices shall be provided to direct passengers to exits.

  4.7.16 Provision shall be made on board for embarkation stations to be properly equipped for evacuation of passengers into life-saving appliances. Such provision shall include handholds, anti-skid treatment of the embarkation deck, and adequate space which is clear of cleats, bollards and similar fittings.

  4.7.17 Main propulsion machinery spaces and ro-ro spaces shall be provided with two means of escape leading to a position outside the spaces from which a safe route to the evacuation stations is available. One means of escape from the main propulsion machinery spaces shall avoid direct access to any ro-ro space. Main propulsion machinery spaces having a length of less than 5 m and not being routinely entered or continuously manned, may be provided with a single means of escape. At least one means of escape from a machinery space shall consist of either a ladder leading to a door or hatch (not being a horizontal flush-hatch) or a door located in the lower part of that space and giving access to an adjacent compartment from which a safe means of escape is provided.

  4.7.18 Spaces that are only entered occasionally by crew members may have only one means of escape provided that it is independent of watertight doors.

Parent topic: Chapter 4 - Accommodation and escape measures
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