VIKING FIRE VALVES

​​​VIKING Safety Academy has addressed a fast-emerging seafarer training issue brought by coronavirus by delivering a unique e-learning tool that can keep seafarers STCW compliant until restrictions on movement and social interactions come to an end. With many countries in lockdown, face to face seafarer training is also being suspended and some flag administrations have responded by granting automatic three-month extensions to the STCW Certificates seafarers must update every five years. However, VIKING Safety Academy has designed a unique training set-up so that seafarers can undergo training for a full certificate renewal even while the crisis persists. VIKING Safety Academy has worked with Estonia’s Reval Safety Training to offer STCW refresher training on an e-learning basis for Estonian seafarers. Personal Survival Techniques The training set-up includes: Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats, Fast Rescue Boats and Advanced Fire Fighting. “Seafarers can now use e-learning to train and renew certificates during these extraordinary times and maintain proof of competence,” says Camilla Runge Nissen, VIKING Safety Academy Product Manager, Training. "They can secure a longer six months extension and can make good use of the time getting ahead in the compliance process.” provisional STCW certificate Seafarers can visit a Reval Safety Training center during the six-month period for classroom/practical training Once the seafarer has completed the e-learning course, whether onboard or at home, he/she is given a provisional STCW certificate extension. Should conditions allow, seafarers can visit a Reval Safety Training center during the six-month period for classroom/practical training and secure a five-year Certificate of Proficiency, or complete once the crisis passes. While the STCW certificates extension based on e-learning is only available to Estonian residents for now, the course could easily be extended to other flag states, Nissen says. “All elements of the temporary package have been approved by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA), we are already talking to other flag states and we can quickly roll this out.” digitally powered solutions The Norwegian Maritime Authority recently announced that it will allow seafarers onboard Norwegian vessels to join vessels until July 1st this year, even if they have only completed the theoretical relevant parts of STCW. “Under this guidance, e-learning is part of the picture, demonstrating that the set-up developed for Estonia can be very useful elsewhere.” Benny Carlsen, VIKING Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, adds that the new e-learning initiative aligns closely with group efforts to keep seafarers and owners compliant, safe, and as hassle and worry free as possible “free from stress”. “In extraordinary times, we need proactive and digitally-powered solutions to ensure that a training headache does not become a lasting issue.”

Based in Denmark, VIKING is one of the manufacturers in the field of maritime and offshore safety. It provides and maintains high-quality safety equipment for passenger and commercial vessels, offshore installations, leisure craft, fishing vessels and the navy. But “landlubbers” in the shape of firefighters aren't forgotten either and benefit from complete rescue solutions in a variety of forms, ranging from standard equipment to specialist technology that offers the highest quality and performance. protective clothing for firefighters At INTERSCHUTZ 2020 the company is focusing on protective clothing for firefighters, but nonetheless also presenting its core expertise in maritime and offshore safety.The innovations that VIKING has so far announced it is showcasing in Hannover include a firefighter hood with Nano Flex technology, which the company sees as a major breakthrough in barrier protection for firefighting. This new, triple-layered hood is yet another step in the company’s quest to combat harmful particles, this time in the neck, ear and jaw areas, without compromising on the wearer's comfort.

Container firefighting across the V.Ships Hamburg container ship fleet has been entrusted to the HydroPen system, after VIKING Life-Saving Equipment secured a contract to protect over 40 ships against one of the industry’s fastest growing safety hazards. Countering rise in container fires The alarming rise in the number of container fires has brought calls for urgent action from the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), with stakeholders urged to encourage IMO to strengthen fire protection and review firefighting equipment onboard existing ships. Fighting a fire high up in the stack from the deck is often ineffective, with containers dowsed on the outside while materials inside continue to burn. As ship sizes have increased, so have stack heights. HydroPen Container firefighting system HydroPen system is based on an innovative drilling and spraying machine that allows deck crew to fight fires successfully The HydroPen system is based on an innovative drilling and spraying machine that allows deck crew to fight fires successfully high up in the stack. Developed by Rosenby Engineering and distributed exclusively by VIKING, the HydroPen unit is attached to existing ship hoses and raised by a single crew member using a telescopic lift. The HydroPen is powered by water pressure alone and drills through the container door before switching to spray mode to extinguish the fire with water, foam or C02. “For V.Ships, new technologies that support safety excellence are always welcome, while keeping customers ahead of the competition through innovation is one of our core values,” says Franck Kayser, Group Managing Director, V.Ships Ship Management. “HydroPen is an easy to use but ground-breaking system that addresses a specific industry concern. Its adoption fleetwide aligns with our ‘safety first’ commitment.” Container ship fleet fire safety VIKING will deliver 88 HydroPen systems to 45 V.Ships Hamburg container ships by February 2020. One unit will be positioned astern and the other towards the bow to enable rapid response. “Securing an order of this magnitude from one of the leading ship management companies in the world is a major vindication of the work behind bringing the HydroPen system to market,” says Lasse Boesen, Product Manager Trade, VIKING. Enhanced fire safety Lasse adds, “Several of the most recent container fires have occurred on very large ships. These ships can only call at a limited number of ports, making it critical that container fires are dealt with on board. The feedback that we are getting on HydroPen is that the system’s true value comes from its being so easy to use.” The HydroPen has already seen service, after a pilot system was used to extinguish a real fire at sea “We continuously seek to offer the very latest technologies to our maritime customers and in the HydroPen we believe we have a solution that will quickly become a ‘must-have’ to address a serious and widespread issue,” says Benny Carlsen, VIKING Senior Vice President. The HydroPen has already seen service, after a pilot system was used to extinguish a real fire at sea, he adds. VIKING and V.Ships partnership On the cooperation between VIKING and V.Ships, VIKING’s Sales Director for Europe and Africa, Dorte M. Hansen comments, “V.Ships is a valued customer and a true first-mover when it comes to safety. We’re delighted that they trust our solutions when it comes to protecting their crews and assets.” VIKING is a global renowned security and fire safety company in maritime and offshore applications. VIKING's products and safety solutions save and protect people all over the world. They provide essential safety and fire-fighting equipment, including chute and slide-based marine and offshore evacuation and crew transfer systems, life rafts, lifejackets, immersion suits, fire suits, work suits, pilot suits, transportation suits, man overboard (MOB) boats, davits and other life-saving appliances.