Assessment of Thermal Protection of Life rafts in Passenger Vessel Abandonment Situations.

The article discusses an analysis of thermal protection criteria of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)-approved commercial life rafts in case of passenger vessel abandonment. The study was conducted at the ice tank and towing tank of National Research Council Canada, Institute for Ocean Technology (NRC-IOT). The insufficiency of thermal stress to increase the metabolic rate of life raft users through shivering is noted. It is observed that the combined heat of multiple raft occupants failed to reduce heat loss.