How to escape a sinking ship
News Item
- Date:
- 12 December, 2011
DSTO is helping the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to improve crew survivability when things go wrong on naval vessels.
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- Trial facility at HMAS Cerberus
In a presentation to the 2011 Defence Human Sciences Symposium, DSTO researcher Michelle Grech showcased a recent simulation trial that measured human performance in escape and evacuation at sea.
“Considering the implications and consequences involved in the event of an emergency on a naval vessel, we need to understand the safety issues surrounding how crew behave on a ship under threat,” Dr Grech said.
In the first phase of research at HMAS Cerberus on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, twenty volunteers replicated shipboard evacuation runs on a model of a ship’s upper deck. They then repeated the evacuation routes on an identical model angled at a seven degree tilt, mimicking a vessel that is listing due to flooding.
The participants were fitted with infra-red tags and physiological monitors, and their movements were recorded by video cameras located throughout the facility. DSTO researchers measured individual response times, travel speeds and time taken for participants to collect life-jackets and open or close watertight doors.
“We’re looking for data that is specific to the needs of the Royal Australian Navy, including measurements of human movement and behaviour during damage control activities,” Dr Grech said.
“Our objective is to develop a capability to realistically model damage control, escape and evacuation events on RAN ships.”
The pilot trial was the first stage of a larger simulation research project by DSTO’s Naval Platforms Survivability Group. The project will incorporate full scale ship trials and lead to improved operational procedures for current fleets and design improvements for future platforms.
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is part of Australia's Department of Defence. DSTO's role is to ensure the expert, impartial and innovative application of science and technology to the defence of Australia and its national interests.
