World’s Tallest Evacuation Chute Approved to 81 Meters – PHOTOS

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment says it has received type approval for its record setting 81-meter evacuation chute developed in response to the increasingly large rigs being introduced in the offshore industry.

The new system was certified by Lloyd’s Register to operate at an unprecedented height of 81 meters (265.7 feet) above sea level, along with an impressive evacuation capacity of 146 people in just 10 minutes. The new system beats the previous record height of ‘only’ 64 meters (210 feet), which was also held by Viking. 

The safety equipment manufacturer says the new system comes in response to increasing rig sizes where evacuation heights are exceeding the max height allowed for enclosed davits and lifeboats.

Already, two 81-meter systems have been installed on the Noble Corporation’s Noble Lloyd Noble CJ70 design jack-up rig under construction at the Jurong shipyard in Singapore. The jack-up is due for delivery in 2016 and will operate in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

To see how the evacuation chute works, check out the video below showing a similar VIKING system in use:

Updated: January 12, 2016 (Originally published January 7, 2016)

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