Blog MES Transforming Safety Rough Sea

Marine Evacuation Systems: Transforming Safety at Sea compass blog icon

Richard McCormick

 

Richard Mc Cormick, Commercial Director

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Marine Evacuation Systems (MES)...

...have become a cornerstone of modern passenger ship safety, providing a fast, reliable, and efficient means of evacuating large numbers of people in an emergency. Since their introduction to the market by Survitec more than four decades ago, MES technology has evolved significantly, driven by vessel design, advances in engineering, regulatory requirements, and the maritime industry’s commitment to enhancing passenger safety.

 

 

MES units fitted

2,500+

MES units fitted

vessels

800

Vessels worldwide

service stations

330+

Service stations worldwide

 

01 What is a Marine Evacuation System?

A Marine Evacuation System is a fully engineered lifesaving arrangement designed to rapidly transfer passengers and crew safely from a vessel to a liferaft in an emergency. Instead of relying on traditional davit-launched lifeboats, MES systems enable rapid, controlled evacuation through an automatically deployed slide or chute connected to large-capacity inflatable liferafts.

How MES works

When activated, an MES deploys over the ship’s side and inflates within minutes, allowing a steady flow of people to board liferafts directly. Modern systems are highly automated, require minimal crew intervention, and are designed to perform safely in rough sea conditions, with MES distinguished by its requirement to pass a Heavy Weather Sea Test to demonstrate this capability. With the ability to evacuate hundreds of people in under 30 minutes, MES delivers a step change in passenger safety.

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02 A Timeline of Continuous Innovation

The development of MES can be traced back to the inflatable liferaft technologies pioneered in the early 20th century. The breakthrough moment came in 1979, when Survitec’s RFD introduced the first-ever MES for the passenger ferry market. This initial concept, an inclined inflatable slide paired with high-capacity SOLAS liferafts, provided a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional lifeboats. It marked the beginning of a new era in evacuation safety.

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1979

The Beginning

Survitec's RFD introduced the first-ever MES for the passenger ferry market. This initial concept, an inclined inflatable slide paired with high-capacity SOLAS liferafts, provided a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional lifeboats.

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1980s and 1990s

Scaling Up

As vessel sizes increased through the  so too did the demand for systems capable of supporting more passengers and operating from higher freeboards. This led to the development of longer slides, greater raft capacities, and ultimately, the first vertical chute systems.

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1998

Stockholm Agreement Milestone

In 1998, the approval of the Marin Ark 430P MES represented a significant milestone: the first system to fully comply with the Stockholm Agreement. Its fully reversible liferaft and twin chute were a revolutionary departure from all other MES on the market.

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2000

Enhanced Performance

The 2000s ushered in further advancements as cruise lines and ferry operators sought higher-capacity systems to accommodate larger vessels such as the Marin Ark2 and other industry-leading designs. In response to this need, they delivered enhanced performance, improved automation, and reduced operational risks.

 

03 Marin Ark2: World-Leading MES Technology

The Marin Ark2 is one of the largest dry-shod MES in the world. Its unique design provides space for 158 passengers and can be expanded to accommodate up to 948 passengers, evacuated into the liferafts via dual helical chutes. It enables rapid and safe evacuation of up to 948 passengers in less than 30 minutes. Features include simple crew operations and a robust, fully reversible liferaft, with multiple buoyancy compartments ensuring maximum stability and safety in the most challenging sea conditions.

  • Simple crew operation
  • Multiple buoyancy compartments
  • Robust, fully reversible liferaft
  • Maximum stability in challenging conditions

 

04 Looking Ahead

Today, MES is widely recognised as an essential component of progressive passenger ship design. Ongoing innovation signals the industry's continued commitment to reducing the crew burden and actions, improving performance, and strengthening passenger confidence.

 

Learn more about our Marine Safety Solutions

Discover how advanced evacuation systems are revolutionizing maritime safety standards worldwide.

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Overview

    • 01 What is MES?
    • 02 Innovation timeline
    • 03 MarinArk2 System
    • 04 Future outlook

 

 

 

 

Key Takeaway

MES technology has revolutionized maritime evacuation, enabling the safe transfer of nearly 1,000 passengers in under 30 minutes—a dramatic improvement over traditional methods.

marin ark 2

 

Related topics

. MES solutions
  MES reliability
  FAQs