Why Low Location Lighting?
Low Location Lighting
At 21.45 hours on 6 April 1990, the M/S Scandinavian Star left Oslo (Norway) bound for Frederikshavn (Denmark). Several hours later while the ship was crossing to Denmark a fire broke out that was to claim the lives of 158 people on-board.
Many of the escape routes soon filled with smoke and this affected the evacuation of the accommodation. In addition, the routes involved changes of direction, corridors with dead ends and staircases that were not continuous etc.
Based on the tragedy of the fire onboard M/S Scandinavian Star, a committee was set up to investigate the incident, and in 1993, the IMO (International Maritime Organization), released a new Resolution (A.752.18) which was adopted on 4th November 1993, with a guidelines cover the approval installation and maintenance of a (Static) Low Location Lighting (LLL) required by the regulation II-2/28, paragraph 1.10 and II-2/41-2, paragraph 4.7. of the 1774 SOLAS Convention, as amended on all passenger ships carrying more than 36 passengers, to readily identify the passenger escape route when the normal emergency lighting is less effective due to smoke.
Since then, the International standard (ISO) intended to make a supplement to International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements for Low Location Lighting complying with the 1974 Safety of Life At Sea Convention (SOLAS 74), as amended with a International Standard (ISO 15370:2001E) in 2001.
The above legislation/regulation cover the nowadays Static Low Location Lighting, meanings of minimum requirements, at it is important to notice, that legislations are minimum requirements, and it is not forbidden to increase technologies and products to higher standards, as long the bottom line is followed in all.
Year 2005 the (IMO) made additional Guidelines for Testing, Approval and Maintenance of Evacuation Guidance Systems, and Functional Requirements and Performance Standards for the Assessment of Evacuation Guidance System used as an alternative to Low Location Lighting Systems with Circular MSC/Circ.1167 and MSC/Circ. 1168 June 1st 2005.
MSC/Circ 1167 & MSC/Circ 1168, are guidelines for Guiding systems, in which the MILS®-System are related to, however, a Dynamic Low Location Lighting System as the MILS®-System, still requires additional approvals from some Authorities as Det Norske Veritas (DNV), but Lloyds Register allow new technologies under the MSC.Circ 1167 & 1168 based on a project to project Approval.
