Princess Selandia
Client: Lucas Entertainment
Location: Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
URL: www.theprincessselandia.com
Project: Fire Risk Assessment / Evacuation Study
Applications: EvaQ8, FRAME
Keywords: Fire safety, evacuation report,
Safety experts from SOA undertook an innovative and challenging safety project in
the form of Barrow in Furness based floating leisure complex The Princess Selandia.
The objectives were not only to ensure the project accomplished all the safety requirements
but also to demonstrate these to the statutory authorities.
The Princess Selandia, originally a Danish train ferry built in 1952, was purchased
by Lucas Entertainment and brought to dock in Barrow with the intention of utilising
the previously converted restaurants and bars on board. Lucas Entertainment also
had an ambitious plan to convert the lower decks previously unused train holding
area, which stretches the entire length of the vessel at 310 feet long and 58 feet
wide, into a nightclub.
Expert engineers
Co-owner of Lucas Entertainment, Rick Lucas, required an expert team of engineers
to achieve compliance with the plethora of applicable safety legislation and regulation.
Essential to this was an extensive fire risk assessment as well as a conclusive
evacuation study.
“We had to demonstrate to the Fire Service, Police, Licensing Committee, Insurance
company, Environmental Health and to Council that the ship and the nightclub within
are safe from fire and if necessary can be evacuated safely within a given time”
explains Rick.
“We asked SOA to help us because of project leader Andy Anderson's experience in
producing safety cases, together with his background in marine fire prevention.
Another major factor in approaching SOA was the software they use to produce their
evacuation assessments. This enabled us to examine all the various parameters involved
in fire and evacuation analysis while determining the correct levels of occupancy,
evacuation procedures, escape routes, structural changes, management policies and
actions to address safety issues. All this was done before the first hammer was
struck.”
Evacuation software
The software package, EvaQ8, was used to analyse the vessel's compartment layout,
by applying various scenarios and risks. Within each scenario a number of parameters
were adjusted. These parameters included occupancy and use of each compartment,
compartment size, exit widths, number of exits and transit speeds to name but a
few. The graphical user interface simulated the occupants moving from their initial
location, through compartments to pre-assigned places of `ultimate safety' following
the defined routes.
The EvaQ8 software, together with Andy's safety justification, meant that the maximum
occupancy for the nightclub could be increased by 900 to 2400. ”Before Andy's EvaQ8
demonstration and safety report, the council were limiting us to 1500occupants”
says Rick. “But we were able to demonstrate that we could safely evacuate up to 3000
people, show every available route and plan exactly where exits were needed. This
gave the council confidence to grant us a licence for 2400 occupants, and this was
all done before we cut any steel, potentially saving us a large amount of money
and eliminating the need for unnecessary alterations and avoiding costly mistakes.
As a businessman, the financial gain of increasing occupancy by 900 was tremendous.”
Chartered Engineer Andy Anderson was the project leader. “This was not a straightforward
assessment” he admits. It was difficult because the vessel was over 50 years
old and was not compliant with all the modern standards and regulations. The upper
decks with restaurants and bars were complete but needed a modern fire risk assessment,
whilst the area that would become the nightclub was just a shell.”
“It was vital that the evacuation procedures were as standard as possible so for
any given scenario the procedure and staff responsibilities remained essentially
the same. Evacuation of 2400 people in less than 3 minutes was the challenge.”
This complex task of assessing whether the challenge could be met was addressed
by applyingEvaQ8, a SOA developed evacuation software suite.”We provided Lucas Entertainment
with the information they needed to take to the authorities, who were able to grant
the licence with confidence because we could show them that we had planned for every
credible situation.” Said SOA Managing Director Andy Anderson
Rick Lucas continues; “SOA's contribution to this project is the reason we're here
today. If the authorities had not been assured that the risk of fire was as low
as reasonably practicable and that the evacuation procedures were achievable we
would not be open today and the ship would no longer be in Barrow. SOA's ability
to provide robust safety arguments and EvaQ8's demonstrations has saved this venture
a small fortune. They will continue to be my first point of call for all safety
issues.”
Commitment
“On a more personal level, Andy Anderson's commitment to the project was beyond my
expectations. Particularly when, on the opening night, he volunteered to assist
in overseeing the evening. Andy's help and expertise was tested when we had to evacuate
the ship. A smoke machine used for the effects in the nightclub triggered one of
the smoke detectors, causing the fire evacuation alarm to sound. Andy was at hand
to monitor the evacuation and assist the staff. Although this was an unpleasant
and unplanned experience it gave me and the staff confidence that we can safely
evacuate the vessel and that the EvaQ8 simulations worked in practice validating
calculations and procedures produced by SOA”.
As well as providing a detailed safety and risk assessment, SOA trained the crew
of the Selandia in the safety and evacuation procedures. This was simplified by
utilising the EvaQ8 toolset as a training aid for the evacuation plan. Furthermore,
SOA put into place the management policies and procedures for the routine maintenance
and upkeep of the vessel.
Going strong
The Blue Lagoon nightclub opened for business in Nov 2005. The renovation of the
Selandia and the need to achieve modern standards has been rewarding but extremely
exhausting. There was a great deal of pressure to have everything in place to meet
these regulations and satisfy the authorities before opening. The nightclub has
now been trading for 6 weeks and is a financial and commercial success. This in
the main is because of the increased numbers that has created the right atmosphere
and ambience; exactly as Rick envisaged.