Regulation 28 - Means of escape

 The doors along escape routes should not, in general, open against the escape flow. The following exceptions should be noted:

• .1 the cabin doors may, in general, open into the cabins in order to avoid damage to persons in a corridor when the door is opened; and

• .2 the doors in vertical emergency escape trunks should, in general, open out of the trunk in order to permit the trunk to be used both for escape and for access.

 Spaces which are entered only occasionally by crew members may have only one means of escape. This sole means of escape should be independent of watertight doors.

• 1 Dead-end corridors used in service areas which are necessary for the practical utility of the ship, such as fuel oil stations and athwartship supply corridors, should be permitted, provided such dead-end corridors are separated from crew accommodation areas and are inaccessible from passenger accommodation areas.

• 2 Recess means local extension or enlargement of a corridor. A recess should not have a depth greater than its width. All other arrangements are considered dead-end corridors.

 Reference is made to resolution A.757(18) - Standards for the calculation of the width of stairways forming means of escape on passenger ships.

 If landings can be entered directly via entrance doors, situated in stairway enclosures, the area of such landings should comply with the requirements of regulation II-2/28.1.5.5. However, if landings can not be entered by entrance doors, such landings should be considered as intermediate landings which should comply with the capacity requirements as given in regulation II-2/28.1.5.3.

 Access from the stairway enclosures to the lifeboat and liferaft embarkation area should be provided either directly or through an internal route which has fire integrity and insulation values for stairway enclosures as determined by the tables in regulations II-2/26 and 27.

 In applying resolution A.757(18) such enclosed means of escape are to be sized taking into account the total number of persons at each level of the public space considered.

 Special category spaces used for stowage of motor vehicles should be provided with walkways to the means of escape with a breadth of at least 600 mm.

• 1 One of the means of escape required by regulation II-2/28.3.1.1.1 should be arranged as follows:

  • .1 it should be enclosed and insulated as required for spaces of regulation II-2/26.2.2 category (2) or 27.2.2 category (4) against the space it serves. Ladders should be fixed in such a way that heat cannot, in case of a fire in the machinery space, be transferred to the ladder through non-insulated fixing points;

  • .2 it should have a self-closing door at its lowest point having the fire integrity of the bulkhead in which it is fitted. If there are other exits to this trunk, they should also be provided with such doors;

  • .3 it should be provided with emergency lighting; and

  • .4 it should have a free opening of at least 800 mm x 800 mm. The ladder may be included in that area.

• 2 Ladders having strings of flexible steel wire ropes are not acceptable in such escape routes.

• 1 For ships of 1,000 gross tonnage and above, auxiliary machinery spaces where persons are not normally employed may be dispensed with one means of escape.

• 2 In the steering gear space, a second means of escape should be provided when the emergency steering position is located in that space unless there is direct access to the open deck.