Safety at Sea: How Decking Can Enhance Safety

Booster Blog

Safety at sea

Underlying every cruise experience, every design, and every voyage is the theme of safety. We all consider it from time to time, but what goes into making a cruise ship experience safe?

The standard of safety today is phenomenal. Even if you’ve just finished watching the Titanic movie minutes before departure, you can rest assured that your cruise is safer than ever. Wherever they may be setting sail, all ships must follow the Safety of Life at Sea regulations (SOLAS). With a high standard of safety procedures in place, cruises are just as safe as commercial aircrafts. In fact, there has been a 15 per cent decrease in incidents since 2009. When compared to other forms of transport, cruise has the least fatalities per billion passenger miles.

Even with safety standards sky-high (or sea-level), we believe there’s always space for improvement. That’s why a continual pursuit of innovation has led to some exciting advancements in on board safety. When it comes to everyday safety on board a ship, a number of solutions can be found in the decking.

Decking that enhances safety

Whilst a cruise ship is a great place to splash about with the family, it also brings with it a tidal wave of health and safety hazards. Wet feet? Hot planks? Splinters? This accumulates to a whirlpool of potential incidents. Synthetic decking can minimalize these incidents with anti-slip properties, low temperatures in the sun and no chance of splintering.

The exciting thing about working with synthetics is that elements can be added and taken away to create the perfect decking material. With Bolidt’s lab being in-house, we’re constantly experimenting to find the next big thing. Here’s a couple of decking systems that are currently enhancing passenger safety on board;

FutureTeak®

FutureTeak® is naturally slip resistant. However, due to the nature of synthetics, extra texture can be added to enhance safety in certain areas. For instance, around the pool where bare feet are likely run and splash water, an additional layer provides grip even when soaking wet.

No need to pack the elbow and knee pads, as FutureTeak can also provide a soft structure around play areas, specifically designed for tumbling children.

Bolideck® Glow

One of the biggest dangers on board is finding your way around in the dark. Even with lighting, navigating your way around gangways in the dead of night can be particularly tricky. Fresh from the Bolidt lab is Bolideck® Glow. It’s the first in the world to offer luminescent decking.

This adds all kinds of unprecedented practicalities. Escape routes and other instructional signage can be illuminated on the floor. On board jogging tracks could be lit up at night.

It’s also energy efficient, as if fitted outside, it can soak up solar energy in the day to utilize at night. It also brings a whole new dimension to design; any desired shape or pattern can be integrated into the deck and illuminated. Whether decorative or practical, the implications are huge.

Whilst cruising the seas is inarguably safer than ever before, the progression of technologies allows the span of on-board safety and practicality to expand ever further. If you’d like to come and see the most exciting additions to the cruise industry first-hand, come and join us at the Seatrade Cruise Global from 14^th to 16^th March. We’ll be at stand number 703 waiting to share the latest and greatest!